Objective To observe the dynamic changes of major indoor air pollutants in residential decorating process.
Methods A residential house being decorated was chosen as the studied object. The indoor air samples of the house were collected for 7 times covering different stages of the decoration and the concentrations changes of selected indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde, benzene, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), were analyzed using spectrophotometry and gas chromatography.
Results According to Indoor Air Quality Standard (GB/T 18883-2002), for regular remodeling residential house, the main pollutants were xylene (5.0-75.0 times of the standard limit-0.20 mg/m3)and TVOC (12.0-79.0 times of the standard limit-0.60 mg/m3) which mainly came from the paint solvents, formaldehyde (1.4-4.0 times of the standard limit-0.10 mg/m3) which mainly came from the wall paint and the adhesives used in the furniture. During the periods of paint spraying/rolling and furniture placement, the concentrations of pollutants were higher.
Conclusion During indoor decoration, volatile organic contaminants could exceed the standard severely and the main pollutants are xylene, TVOC and formaldehyde. Concentrations of the pollutants are closely associated with ventilation, and the results indicate that a five-month-ventilation could reduce the concentrations of indoor pollutants under the regulated limits.
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