TY - JOUR

T1 - Indoor air concentrations of PCB in a contaminated building estate and factors of importance for the variance

AU - Andersen, Helle Vibeke

AU - Kolarik, Barbara

AU - Nielsen, Niss Skov

AU - Hougaard, Thomas

AU - Gunnarsen, Lars

AU - Knudsen, Lisbeth E.

AU - Frederiksen, Marie

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - The paper presents results of statistical analyses of indoor PCB air concentrations related to building characteristics, time trends and resident behavior. More than 150 measurements of air concentrations were made in five high-rise apartment buildings with PCB containing sealants in an estate in Denmark. The indoor air concentrations consists of two datasets. Data set A are short-term nighttime measurements in both kitchen and living room taken during the period from 2010 to 2017. Data set B consists of 24-h measurement taken in the living room late 2017. Data set B also holds information from a questionnaire of among other things cleaning habits filled out by the residents and concentrations of PCB in dust from the vacuum cleaner bag of the homes. Both data sets show higher air concentrations associated with higher indoor temperature. Data set A further show, that this was associated with wintertime and it is speculated, that the higher air concentrations in cold weather are due to underfloor PCB sources being heated by radiator pipes. Building, floor level and apartment type were used as variable as the apartments were very similar and the type included many characteristic parameters. No relations were seen between air concentrations and these parameters. Repeated measurements of air concentrations from a number of apartments between 2010 and 2017 showed some variation over time, though no clear tendency was observed. Frequent cleaning habits had a minor influence on lowering the air and dust concentrations.

AB - The paper presents results of statistical analyses of indoor PCB air concentrations related to building characteristics, time trends and resident behavior. More than 150 measurements of air concentrations were made in five high-rise apartment buildings with PCB containing sealants in an estate in Denmark. The indoor air concentrations consists of two datasets. Data set A are short-term nighttime measurements in both kitchen and living room taken during the period from 2010 to 2017. Data set B consists of 24-h measurement taken in the living room late 2017. Data set B also holds information from a questionnaire of among other things cleaning habits filled out by the residents and concentrations of PCB in dust from the vacuum cleaner bag of the homes. Both data sets show higher air concentrations associated with higher indoor temperature. Data set A further show, that this was associated with wintertime and it is speculated, that the higher air concentrations in cold weather are due to underfloor PCB sources being heated by radiator pipes. Building, floor level and apartment type were used as variable as the apartments were very similar and the type included many characteristic parameters. No relations were seen between air concentrations and these parameters. Repeated measurements of air concentrations from a number of apartments between 2010 and 2017 showed some variation over time, though no clear tendency was observed. Frequent cleaning habits had a minor influence on lowering the air and dust concentrations.

KW - Polychlorinated biphenyls

KW - Settled house dust

KW - Cleaning

KW - Vacuuming

KW - Airing

KW - Building characteristics

KW - POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS PCBS

KW - SEALANTS

U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108135

DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108135

M3 - Journal article

VL - 204

JO - Building and Environment

JF - Building and Environment

SN - 0360-1323

M1 - 108135

ER -