Exposure of children and adolescents to volatile organic compounds in indoor air: Results from the German Environmental Survey 2014–2017 (GerES V)

Indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were determined in the living environments of German children and adolescents between 2014 and 2017 during the German Environmental Survey (GerES) V. Passive sampling on Tenax TA tubes over 7 days and subsequent thermodesorption/gas chromatographic analysis yielded concentrations of 61 compounds from the groups of alcohols, alkanes, aromatics, carboxylic acid esters, glycol ethers, halogenated hydrocarbons, siloxanes, and terpenes as well as a value for total VOC (TVOC). The most abundant single compounds were decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), limonene, α-pinene, butyl acetate, toluene, and 2-ethylhexanol, with geometric mean concentrations ranging between 12 and 4.5 µg/m³. The guideline values established by the German Committee on Indoor Guidance Values (AIR) were exceeded in less than 1.3% of participants when considered as a sum parameter for cyclic dimethylsiloxanes, monocyclic monoterpenes, bicyclic terpenes, C9-C14 alkanes, and xylenes. The concentrations of most compounds were lower in GerES V (2014/17) compared to the previous cycle GerES IV (2003/06). The concentrations of individual compounds showed moderate associations with exposure factors as identified from questionnaire data including the socio-economic status of the household, migration background, smoking status, the presence of wooden furniture, renovations in the test room, the age of the house, outdoor pollution (proximity to road traffic), as well as the age and sex of the participants.