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28411 
Journal Article 
Indoor chemistry: ozone, volatile organic compounds, and carpets 
Weschler, CJ; Hodgson, AT; Wooley, JD 
1992 
Environmental Science & Technology
ISSN: 0013-936X
EISSN: 1520-5851 
26 
12 
2371-2377 
English 
#Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been measured in a freshly carpeted 20-m3 stainless-steel room in both the absence and presence of ozone (ozone concentrations ranging from 30 to 50 ppb, with one experiment conducted at 400 ppb). Four different types of carpeting were exposed, and in each set of experiments, the room was ventilated at 1 air exchange/h. The gas-phase concentrations of selected carpet emissions (e.g., 4-phenylcyclohexene, 4-vinylcyclohexene, and styrene) significantly decreased in the presence of ozone. Conversely, the concentrations of other compounds (e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and aldehydes with between 5 and 10 carbons) significantly increased. Furthermore, the total concentration of VOCs increased markedly in the presence of ozone. The additional VOCs appear to have been generated by reactions between ozone and relatively nonvolatile compounds associated with the carpets. These studies suggest that VOCs measured within a building at elevated ozone levels (>30 ppb) may differ from those measured at lower ozone levels(<10 ppb). 
carpets; Pollution Abstracts; volatile organic compounds; indoor environments; P 0000:AIR POLLUTION