Real-time molecular characterization of air pollutants in a Hong Kong residence: Implication of indoor source emissions and heterogeneous chemistry

Xiaopu Lyu, Yunxi Huo, Jin Yang, Dawen Yao, Kaimin Li, Haoxian Lu, Yangzong Zeren, Hai Guo*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Due to the high health risks associated with indoor air pollutants and long-term exposure, indoor air quality has received increasing attention. In this study, we put emphasis on the molecular composition, source emissions, and chemical aging of air pollutants in a residence with designed activities mimicking ordinary Hong Kong homes. More than 150 air pollutants were detected at molecular level, 87 of which were quantified at a time resolution of not less than 1 hour. The indoor-to-outdoor ratios were higher than 1 for most of the primary air pollutants, due to emissions of indoor activities and indoor backgrounds (especially for aldehydes). In contrast, many secondary air pollutants exhibited higher concentrations in outdoor air. Painting ranked first in aldehyde emissions, which also caused great enhancement of aromatics. Incense burning had the highest emissions of particle-phase organics, with vanillic acid and syringic acid as markers. The other noteworthy fingerprints enabled by online measurements included linoleic acid, cholesterol, and oleic acid for cooking, 2,5-dimethylfuran, stigmasterol, iso-/anteiso-alkanes, and fructose isomers for smoking, C28-C34 even n-alkanes for candle burning, and monoterpenes for the use of air freshener, cleaning agents, and camphor oil. We showed clear evidence of chemical aging of cooking emissions, giving a hint of indoor heterogeneous chemistry. This study highlights the value of organic molecules measured at high time resolutions in enhancing our knowledge on indoor air quality.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1340-1352
    Number of pages13
    JournalIndoor Air
    Volume31
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2021

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Environmental Engineering
    • Building and Construction
    • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

    User-Defined Keywords

    • indoor air quality
    • indoor chemistry
    • organic aerosol
    • particulate matters
    • volatile organic compounds

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Real-time molecular characterization of air pollutants in a Hong Kong residence: Implication of indoor source emissions and heterogeneous chemistry'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this