Vocs) in Residential Indoor Environment Using the Canadian Health Measures Survey (Cycle 2: 2009-2011) and a Multiple Receptors Based Approach
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AN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT STUDY OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS) IN RESIDENTIAL INDOOR ENVIRONMENT USING THE CANADIAN HEALTH MEASURES SURVEY (CYCLE 2: 2009-2011) AND A MULTIPLE RECEPTORS BASED APPROACH by Marianne I. Parent Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia April 2018 © Copyright by Marianne I. Parent, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ........................................................................................................ v List of Figures ..................................................................................................... viii Abstract ................................................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations used .................................................................................... x Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................xi Chapter 1. Introduction: Exposures and health effects of VOCs........................... 1 1.1 VOCs – Exposures and sources ..................................................................... 1 1.2 What are VOCs? ............................................................................................ 3 1.2.1 What are sources of VOCs in residential indoor environments? .......... 4 1.2.2. Indoor sources of VOCs from building materials and products ............ 6 1.2.3 VOC emissions from smoking, cooking, gas and oil combustion ......... 8 1.2.4 VOC emissions associated with cleaning and maintenance ................. 9 1.2.5 VOC emissions associated with dwelling characteristics .................... 10 1.2.6 VOC infiltration from the ambient environment ................................... 13 1.2.7 Other sources of variability in VOC concentrations ............................ 17 1.3 Known VOCs that have been demonstrated to occur in residential indoor environments ...................................................................................................... 18 1.3.1 BTEX compounds: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylenes 18 1.3.2 Emerging VOCs found in residential indoor environments ................. 26 1.4 Fate of VOCs in the air, soil and water ......................................................... 35 1.5 Health effects and toxicity ............................................................................. 36 1.5.1 Susceptibilities to the effects of VOC exposures ................................ 38 1.5.2 Animal studies .................................................................................... 43 1.6 How are air pollutants, including VOCs, classified as standards in relation to residential indoor environments? ........................................................................ 46 ii 1.7 What is the role of building standards and building codes in managing residential exposure to VOCs and other air pollutants? ...................................... 47 1.8 VOC standards and guidelines ..................................................................... 49 1.9 VOC technologies ......................................................................................... 50 Chapter 2. Rationale ........................................................................................... 52 Chapter 3. Goal and objectives .......................................................................... 54 Chapter 4. Methods ............................................................................................ 58 4.1 Methodological considerations ..................................................................... 58 4.1.1 VOC measurement methods .............................................................. 58 4.1.2 Questionnaires ................................................................................... 59 4.1.3 Multi-receptor-based approach ........................................................... 60 4.1.4 Canadian Health Measures Survey .................................................... 60 4.1.5 US Air Toxics ...................................................................................... 66 4.2 Part 1: CHMS data analysis .......................................................................... 67 4.2.1 Access to CHMS files and ethics review ............................................ 67 4.2.3 Data Management .............................................................................. 68 4.3.4 Preliminary analyses and validation of CHMS data ............................ 70 4.4.5 Statistical analysis methods ............................................................... 73 4.3 Part 2: Indoor air sampling and lab analysis – descriptive studies ................ 77 Chapter 5. Results .............................................................................................. 83 5.1 Part 1: CHMS data analysis .......................................................................... 83 5.1.1 VOC profile differences in the two populations: comparison between children (3-11 years old) and youth-adults (12-79 years old), and residential indoor air characteristics.............................................................................. 85 5.1.2 VOC profiles differences by the age of the dwelling ........................... 88 iii 5.1.3 VOC profile differences by the region (British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic Provinces) and urbanicity (urban, suburban and rural). .................................................................................... 89 5.1.4 Biomonitoring profiles: blood lead and urinary metabolites from indoor air contaminants .......................................................................................... 93 5.2 Part 2: Indoor air sampling and lab analysis – descriptive studies ................ 94 5.2.1 Descriptive study 1 ............................................................................. 95 5.2.2 Descriptive study 2 ............................................................................. 96 5.2.3 Descriptive study 3 ............................................................................. 99 Chapter 6. Discussion ...................................................................................... 101 6.1 Part 1: CHMS data analysis ........................................................................ 102 6.2 Part 2: Indoor air sampling and lab analysis – descriptive studies .............. 106 6.3 Strengths of this research project ............................................................... 107 6.4 Limitations of the CHMS ............................................................................. 109 6.5 Limitations of the descriptive studies .......................................................... 110 Chapter 7. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 112 References ....................................................................................................... 152 Appendix A ....................................................................................................... 169 Appendix B ....................................................................................................... 171 Appendix C ....................................................................................................... 179 Appendix D ....................................................................................................... 180 Appendix E ....................................................................................................... 183 Appendix F ....................................................................................................... 184 Appendix G ....................................................................................................... 187 Appendix H ....................................................................................................... 190 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Variables included in the investigation...................................................................................................... 115 Table 2a. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Dwelling characteristics and self-reported lifestyle and health participant characteristics by sex and age (child 3-11 years old, adult 12-79 years old); n= 6395. ..................................... 118 Table 2b. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Mean of the quantitative dwelling characteristics and geometric mean of blood lead and urine free cotinine categorized by self-reported sex and age (child 3-11 years old, adult 12-79 years old) - population weighted results; n= 6395……………………………………….121 Table 3a. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Dwelling characteristics and self-reported lifestyle and health participant characteristics by region - population weighted results; n= 6395. .............................................................. 122 Table 3b. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Mean of the quantitative dwelling characteristics and geometric mean of blood lead and urine free cotinine categorized by region - population weighted results; n= 6395……………….…123 Table 4a. Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 2. Dwelling characteristics and self-reported lifestyle and health participant characteristics by urban, suburban and rural designation; n= 6395. ........................................................ 124 Table 4b. Canadian Health