Indoor air pollution in a newly constructed elementary school caused by 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and Texanol emitted from water-based paints

Abstract

Patients with so-called "sick house syndrome" were observed in a newly built elementary school in Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan, and we have surveyed its indoor air chemicals. Indoor air was found to be markedly polluted with 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (maximum concentration: 1000μg/m³) and 2,2,4-Trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (Texanol) (maximum concentration: 510μg/m³), and these compounds were suspected as plausible compounds that had induced harmful effects on human health. We have searched the emission sources and identified these two compounds were constituents of water-based paints, which are thought to be relatively safer than oil paints. We have measured the amount of these two compounds emitted from the water-based paints by small chamber test method under the simulated condition of the elementary school. We have discussed the concentrations of these two compounds when school children and staffs had begun to use the school facilities.