DOI: 10.60752/102376.29137679.v1
title: Research data on volatile organic compounds detected in indoor and outdoor air of residential environments in the US

description: <b>Introduction</b>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility, which are emitted from solid or liquid sources. Emission sources indoors include furniture and building materials, cleaning and cooking activities, consumer products and office equipment. Among the various VOCs, some of them may have short- and/or long-term adverse health effects. Therefore, it is important to understand the VOC compositions that people are exposed to in indoor and outdoor environments. However, accurate monitoring of VOCs is not available for many researchers and the public. Chemical Insights, a unit of UL Research Institutes, has conducted research initiatives on characterizing VOCs in indoor and outdoor environments in the US with collaboration with US EPA. To increase data transparency and share useful information, these research data are made available to stakeholders such as researchers, educators, and general public who may need environmental VOC data.<b>Methods</b>The methods of sample collection and analysis have been developed and validated previously. VOCs were collected on Tenax® TA (60/80 mesh) sorbent tubes and then thermally desorbed and analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) following the US EPA Methods TO-17<sup>1</sup> and TO-1<sup>2</sup>. Individual VOCs were quantified using multi-point calibration curves with authentic standards if available. Total VOC (TVOC) was the sum of toluene equivalent response in C<sub>6</sub> to C<sub>16</sub> range. Low-molecular-weight carbonyls (aldehydes) samples were collected on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridges and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following EPA Method TO-11A<sup>3</sup>. The laboratory quality program enables the accuracy of the identification and quantification of analyzed VOCs and aldehydes. This campaign recruited 6 homes for July 2022 sampling<sup>4</sup> and 38 homes for September and October 2023 sampling<sup>5</sup> in Tulare, California. Details of the study and sampling plan can be found in published technical reports.<sup>4,</sup><sup>5</sup><b>Database</b>This database includes all detected VOCs with their concentrations from the US campaign. This database provides information on indoor and outdoor VOC compositions and levels. The studied region in California is a rural, agriculturally intensive county that is frequently impacted by wildfire smoke. Wildfire brings a mixture of hazardous contaminants due to combustion and photoreaction, which may penetrate indoors and elevate the VOC levels. This database provides information on indoor and outdoor VOC compositions and levels without the impact of wildfire. This database can be used as a baseline to compare with the air quality impacted by wildfire or wildland urban interface (WUI) activities. It also provides source information on indoor and outdoor VOCs, such as those related to agriculture, cleaning and cooking activities, which can be used for further research topics. This data is beneficial for a wide range of stakeholders, including consumers, manufacturers, researchers, policymakers, educators, and the public. <b>Please see </b><b>ULRI_US_NOTE file</b><b> for details of data dictionary.</b><b>Data portal</b>The data portal provides an interactive way of viewing and screening data by selecting the parameters of interest. Users can download the data as needed.<b>References</b>US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-17 Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Using Active Sampling Onto Sorbent Tubes, 1999.US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air - Second Edition. Compendium Method TO-1 Method for the Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Ambient Air Using Tenax® Adsorption and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), 1999.US EPA. Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-11A Determination of Formaldehyde in Ambient Air Using Adsorbent Cartridge Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), 1999.Chemical Insights Research Institute. <i>Final Report: The Effect of Wildfires and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on Indoor Air Quality and Health in Residential Homes</i>; report; UL Research Institutes, 2025. https://doi.org/10.60752/102376.28515788.v1.Chemical Insights Research Institute. <i>Pilot Study: The Effect of Wildfires and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on Indoor Air Quality and Health in Residential Homes</i>; UL Research Institutes, 2023. https://chemicalinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Chemical-Insights_Indoor-Air-Quality_Report-330_final.pdf (accessed 2025-04-24).<br>