BTEX Levels in the Indoor Air of New School Buildings: A Case Study
doi: 10.14456/mijet.2020.4
Keywords:
Indoor air, VOCs, BTEX, Air quality, SchoolAbstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a common group of indoor air pollutants. VOCs cause adverse health effects, both short- and long-term to exposed residents. This study investigated the BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) levels in the indoor air of the new buildings of Surawiwat School, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Samples were taken from classrooms, dormitory rooms and laboratory rooms, both new and in-used, from December 2018 to February 2019. The sampling was done biweekly. Two samples were collected in each room at a time, resulting in a total of 12 samples per room. Each BTEX sample was done using two Tenax tubes connected in series with a personal air pump. The air flow rate was equal to 50 mL/min and the duration was 60 minutes. The samples were analyzed by a GC/MS instrument. For most types of gas, the concentration levels of the new rooms were lower than those of the in-used rooms, except for the dormitory rooms. Decreasing trends of BTEX concentrations were found in the classrooms and the new laboratory room, while the in-used dormitory room had near constant concentration levels. The BTEX concentration values found in this study were in the acceptable range Time-weighted Average (TWA) of that defined by NIOSH, OSHA, and Thailand state agency.
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