Study on the 2-ethyl-1-hexanol

Abstract

2-Ethyl-1-hexanol (hereafter referred to as “2-EH”) is a higher alcohol with an unpleasant odor. 2-EH is generated by carpet tiles that are installed directly onto concrete slabs and is known to be a cause of odor-related complaints. With efforts currently underway to determine guideline exposure limits for 2-EH to protect building occupants from sick building syndrome, this substance must be re-examined while considering its effects on human health. To acquire knowledge regarding 2-EH, we performed the long-term monitoring of 2-EH in an actual building and investigated the effects of temperature and humidity on its concentration. Furthermore, the relationship between 2-EH concentrations and odor were examined. In this paper, we report an example application of a 2-EH-proof installation method that can be used to install carpet tiles on concrete slabs with high moisture content.