Seasonal variations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air of daycare centers

Daycare centers are an important indoor environment for pre-school children and exposure area with potential harmful health effects for infants and children who spend most of their daily life. Sampling was undertaken at 29 daycare centers located Seoul in Korea from January, 2006 to December 2006. The target compounds were 7 individual volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, styrene, o-xylene, TVOC). The mean concentrations of TVOC, toluene, m, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, benzene and styrene in daycare centers were 318.7 mu g/m(3), 51.6 mu g/m(3), 11.7 mu g/m(3), 6.5 mu g/m(3), 4.2 mu g/m(3), 3.6 mu g/m(3), respectively. Toluene occupied 17.6 % of the concentration of individual VOCs. The ratio of indoor and outdoor (I/O) of TVOC and toluene were 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. The results of characteristics according to a season of a year, the concentration of TVOC were measured 433.9 mu g/m(3), and these concentrations during third quarter of the year in summer were higher than the other season. In the other four seasons, TVOC were measured 280.5 in winter, 298.3 in spring and 264.6 mu g/m(3) in fall, respectively.