Automobiles have been widely known as sources of VOC emissions in outdoor environments; however, the impact of these emissions indoor has not yet been studied in detail and needs to be developed. Two different types of indoor parking facilities have been assessed for the VOC concentrations, which include residential attached garages and commercial ground garages. For this assessment, Houston, Texas, a representative big city, was chosen because of its high dependency on private cars by its citizens, the numerous petrochemical industries emitting VOCs, and the several days each year that it experiences a high ozone level. These factors significantly increase Houstonians’ exposure to VOCs. Indoor air samples were collected using 6-L stainless steel canisters for 24-h period and analyzed using a modified version of EPA Method TO-15, which is TSU-TO15 with GC-MS coupled to cryogenic pre-concentrator. The eight most abundant VOCs were identified in each sample. Six out of the eight VOCs identified are classified as hazardous air pollutant (HAPs) based on EPA regulations. This research found the concentrations of VOCs are higher in attached residential garages following ground commercial garages.

Prelimanary assesment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor parking facilities in the greater Houston area

249th National Meeting (2015)

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