Outdoor trends and indoor investigations of volatile organic compounds in two high schools of southern Italy

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a class of ubiquitous substances that are present in outdoor and indoor air. They are emitted by a wide range of sources and can penetrate and accumulate specifically in indoor environments. Concern is growing among the scientific community regarding the potential health impacts of exposure to a high concentration of VOCs in indoor spaces. Due to their still-developing respiratory and immune systems, children may be the most fragile subjects in this regard, and therefore, the study of indoor air quality in schools is of the utmost importance. In this work, the concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and of 20 specific compounds belonging to this class were determined in a school in Squinzano, a town in the province of Lecce (Apulia region, southern Italy). Sampling was carried out in indoor (classrooms and bathrooms) and outdoor (terrace) areas using passive diffusive samplers for VOCs and photoionization detectors for TVOCs. Average concentrations of both TVOC (303 ± 47 µg m⁻³) and individual VOCs (< 0.5 µg m⁻³) were below levels of concern; however, specific indoor sources such as cleaning activities and student occupancy were responsible for peaks in TVOC concentrations above harmless levels for children and school staff. The data were then compared to the ones obtained in a similar study conducted in a school in Galatina, another town of the Apulia region, highlighting the impact of the surrounding outdoor environment on the indoor profile of VOCs.