Front cover
Inside front cover
Contents list
Indoor air: sources, chemistry and health effects
Guest editors Delphine Farmer and Marina Vance introduce the “Indoor air: sources, chemistry and health effects” themed issue of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.
Critical Review
The atmospheric chemistry of indoor environments
The review article summarizes the wide variety of atmospheric chemistry phenomena that occur indoors.
Critical Review
Illuminating the dark side of indoor oxidants
A review of the current understanding of oxidants and their precursors in indoor environments.
Modelling consortium for chemistry of indoor environments (MOCCIE): integrating chemical processes from molecular to room scales
We report on the development of a modelling consortium for chemistry in indoor environments that connects models over a range of spatial and temporal scales, from molecular to room scales and from sub-nanosecond to days, respectively.
Design and evaluation of a portable PM2.5 monitor featuring a low-cost sensor in line with an active filter sampler
Measurement of particulate matter (PM) air pollution using a low-cost sensor and in-line filter sample enables gravimetric correction of the real-time PM data and chemical characterization of the collected PM.
Paper
Overview of HOMEChem: House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry
The House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) study was a large-scale collaborative experimental investigation probing indoor air composition and chemistry.
Assessing indoor gas phase oxidation capacity through real-time measurements of HONO and NOx in Guangzhou, China
The photolysis of nitrous acid (HONO) is the main initiation source of hydroxyl radical (OH) which in turn is the main oxidant controlling the oxidation capacity of the indoor atmosphere.
Emissions of DEHP from vehicle cabin materials: parameter determination, impact factors and exposure analysis
A VVR method is developed to measure the key parameters of DEHP from vehicular materials.
Total surface area in indoor environments
Objects in a room add 50% to its surface area beyond the walls, ceiling, and floor.
Paper
Role of location, season, occupant activity, and chemistry in indoor ozone and nitrogen oxide mixing ratios
Indoor field studies and in situ chamber experiments illustrate the interdependence of oxidants and oxidant precursors in residences.
Paper
Residential water-soluble organic gases: chemical characterization of a substantial contributor to indoor exposures
Characterization of residential indoor air showed that organic acids make up a significant portion of water-soluble organic gases.
Paper
Secondary product creation potential (SPCP): a metric for assessing the potential impact of indoor air pollution on human health
Secondary Product Creation Potential (SPCP): a new metric for ranking the impact of volatile organic compounds on indoor air chemistry and human health.
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Assessment of fine particles released during paper printing and shredding processes
In this study, we investigated the airborne particles released during paper printing and paper shredding processes in an attempt to characterize and differentiate these particles.
Paper
Distribution of five SVOCs in a model room: effect of vacuuming and air cleaning measures
We monitored the distribution of SVOCs in model rooms in dependence of temperature and cleaning measures over a period of six months.
Human occupant contribution to secondary aerosol mass in the indoor environment
Occupancy in indoor spaces can contribute to indoor aerosol mass via reactions of oxidants such as ozone with skin constituents and subsequent partitioning of those oxidation product to existing aerosol.
Sources of isocyanic acid (HNCO) indoors: a focus on cigarette smoke
The sources and sinks of isocyanic acid (HNCO), a toxic gas, in indoor environments are largely uncharacterized.
Degradation of phthalate esters in floor dust at elevated relative humidity
Emerging investigator series: Phthalate losses in floor dust are due to abiotic chemical degradation as well as microbial degradation of phthalates under elevated relative humidity conditions.
Emerging investigator series: primary emissions, ozone reactivity, and byproduct emissions from building insulation materials
Insulation materials affect indoor air by (i) releasing primary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from enclosure cavities to the interior space, (ii) mitigating exposure to outdoor pollutants through reactive deposition (of oxidants, e.g., ozone) or filtration in infiltration air, and (iii) generating secondary VOCs and gas-phase byproducts from chemical reactions.
About this collection
Guest Edited by ESPI Editorial Board member Delphine Farmer (Colorado State University, USA) and Marina Vance (University of Colorado at Boulder, USA), this Themed Issue showcases advances in the area of indoor air chemistry, highlighting its diverse impact in the field of environmental science. The issue covers a range of topics (e.g., surface chemistry, microbial activity, photochemistry, exposure science) from an array of approaches (e.g., instrument development, measurements, modeling, and consideration of policy and health impacts of indoor air quality). We hope you enjoy reading the papers in this collection.