Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Residential Air along the Arizona−Mexico Border

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43 (9), pp 3054–3060

Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Residential Air along the Arizona−Mexico Border
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es803482u

Robert W. Gale* , Walter L. Cranor , David A. Alvarez , James N. Huckins , Jimmie D. Petty  and Gary L. Robertson‡

Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, and Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 944 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43 (9), pp 3054–3060
DOI: 10.1021/es803482u
Publication Date (Web): March 26, 2009

Copyright This article not subject to U.S. Copyright. Published 2009 by the American Chemical Society

* Corresponding author phone: (573)441-2971; fax: (573)876-1896; e-mail: rgale@usgs.gov.,   United States Geological Survey.
, ‡ United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Abstract
Concerns about indoor air quality and the potential effects on people living in these environments are increasing as more reports about the toxicities and the potential indoor air exposure levels of household-use chemicals and chemicals from housing and furnishing manufacture in air are being assessed. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to confirm numerous airborne contaminants obtained from the analysis of semipermeable membrane devices deployed inside of 52 homes situated along the border between Arizona and Mexico. We also describe nontarget analytes in the organochlorine pesticide fractions of 12 of these homes; this fraction is also the most likely to contain the broadest scope of bioconcentratable chemicals accumulated from the indoor air. Approximately 400 individual components were identified, ranging from pesticides to a wide array of hydrocarbons, fragrances such as the musk xylenes, flavors relating to spices, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and phthalate esters, and other miscellaneous types of chemicals. The results presented in this study demonstrate unequivocally that the mixture of airborne chemicals present indoors is far more complex than previously demonstrated.