2015 Volume 64 Issue 1 Pages 55-63
Gaseous chemical compounds such as carbonyls, volatile organic compounds (VOC), acid gases, basic gases, and ozone were measured in indoor and outdoor air of 40 houses throughout Sapporo city in the winter (January to March, 2012 and 2013) and summer (July to September, 2012) using four kinds of diffusive samplers. Almost all compounds in indoor air were present at higher levels in the summer than in the winter. The indoor concentrations of acetaldehyde and p-dichlorobenzene exceeded the Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan guideline in three and two houses, respectively. The mean concentrations of formaldehyde were 27 μg m−3 in the summer and 17 μg m−3 in the winter, and showed that the summer concentration was 1.6-fold higher than that in the winter. Nitrogen dioxide was present in extremely high concentrations in the winter, and it was suggested that the sources of nitrogen dioxide in indoor air are kerosene heaters, unvented gas stoves and heaters. Formic acid was generated by combustion because the nitrogen dioxide concentration in indoor air was well correlated with the formic acid concentration (correlation coefficient = 0.947). In outdoor air, the negative correlation between nitrogen dioxide and ozone was observed during the winter. It was suggested that the reaction of nitric oxide and ozone may influence the formation of nitrogen dioxide.
