Indoor/outdoor, and personal monitor and breath analysis relationships for selected volatile organic compounds measured at three homes during New Jersey TEAM-1987.

Indoor/outdoor relationships were identified for selected volatile organic compounds over the course of five consecutive days in three homes. Indoor sources of individual compounds were meant in one or more homes. Personal monitoring samples and breath analyses were obtained from volunteers in each home. A period of outdoor air stagnation occurred during one evening and morning of the study. Two results from the study that must be considered in future investigations of VOC exposure are 1) periods conducive to accumulating outdoor VOC can make substantial contributions to indoor values and 2) for homes without indoor sources of individual compounds the indoor values are driven by the outdoor values of a VOC. The primary results do not contradict previous TEAM studies which indicate that when indoor sources of a particular VOC are present the personal exposure and microenvironmental exposures are effected primarily by indoor contributions. Future comparisons of external exposure values with human breath analysis studies must be designed to more closely reflect the time interval associated with the half time of elimination for a particular VOC.