Keywords: decoration materials; Formaldehyde; Volatile organic compound
Investigation on indoor air pollution in decoration materials market
Yu, Deng, et al.
Department of Health, School of Public Health, University of South China (Henan 42 100 1, China)
Objective To understand the indoor air pollution in decoration materials market and put forward corresponding prevention measures. Methods The concentrations of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds in indoor air of 30 shopping malls were investigated. Results The concentrations of formaldehyde and VOCs in shopping malls with different decoration materials were higher than those in outdoor air (P < 0.05), and the highest values were 70 times and 20 times respectively. The over-standard rate of formaldehyde and VOCs in unventilated condition is higher than that in ventilated condition (P < 0.05), especially formaldehyde. The over-standard rate of the area below 50m2 is higher than that above 50m2 (P < 0.05). Conclusion Indoor air in decoration materials market is seriously polluted by formaldehyde and VOCs, and the pollution degree is related to the types of decoration materials, the area of shopping malls and ventilation.
Keywords: decorative materials; Formaldehyde; Volatile organic compound
Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by indoor decoration materials have become the pollution sources of indoor air that cannot be ignored [1, 2]. In order to understand the air pollution in the sales places, the indoor air quality of 30 decoration materials sales stores was tested. The results are reported as follows.
1 objects and methods
1 1 Subjects randomly selected 30 decoration materials stores by simple random sampling method, and tested the indoor air quality of 30 stores. The detection items are formaldehyde, VOCs (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc. ). Among them, 20 wood-based panels, 6 paints, carpets, paper-avoiding, plastic veneers and floor tiles were tested, and the air outside the building materials store was selected as the control.
12 detection method is based on the monitoring specifications of public places, adopting the principles of cross layout and diagonal layout, and determining sampling points according to the area (x) of sales stores, x
13 instrument PPM400 formaldehyde meter (British ppm 400- technology company), American MultiRAE Plus(PGM50) five-in-one gas monitor (including VOC), dry and wet bulb thermometer, QDF-3 hot bulb anemometer, chlorine barometer, etc.
14 health questionnaire survey conducted a health questionnaire survey on sales employees. The questionnaire survey mainly includes employees' subjective feelings, such as pungent smell, glare and tears. Incidence of respiratory symptoms of employees, such as throat discomfort and respiratory dryness.
Two results
2 1 Indoor air quality of different types of decoration materials stores (Table 1) Formaldehyde and VOCs in indoor air of different types of decoration materials stores are higher than outdoor control in different degrees (P
Table 1 Indoor Air Pollution in Sales Stores with Different Decoration Materials (omitted)
Note: compared with outdoor, A P
22 Influence of ventilation on indoor air quality of plate workshop (Table 2) Doors and windows are judged to be ventilated after 2 hours of opening and not ventilated after 2 hours of closing. The indoor air formaldehyde in the plate shop seriously exceeded the standard, and the maximum value exceeded the standard by 69 times; The average value and over-standard rate of the two indexes in ventilated state are lower than those in unventilated state (P
Table 2 Air quality of plate workshop under different ventilation conditions (omitted)
Note: Compared with unventilated state, P < 005.
The influence of storefront size on the air quality of plate shops can be divided into three types according to the size of the area. The indoor air quality of shops with an area less than 25m2 exceeded the standard rate of formaldehyde and VOCs by 69.2% and 48.4% respectively, while the two indexes of shops with an area of 25-49m2 exceeded the standard rate by 665, 438+09% and 38.6% respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the two types of shops. And area >; The over-standard rates of formaldehyde and VOCs in 50m2 shopping malls were 34.3% and 65,438+065,438+03%, respectively, which were lower than those in shopping malls with an area less than 50m2 (P
24 Investigation on the health status of salespeople 67 salespeople in plate sales stores mostly have respiratory symptoms such as cough, sneezing, sore throat, dry respiratory tract, headache and fatigue, with an incidence rate of 94.03%; The incidence of memory loss, difficulty in concentration, dizziness, headache and fatigue was 43.28%.
3 discussion
Urea-formaldehyde resin with formaldehyde as the main component is used as an adhesive in various wood-based panels, new furniture, walls and floor decoration auxiliary equipment, which can continuously release formaldehyde to the environment [3,4]. VOCs mainly come from paints, waterborne coatings and various adhesives, diluents, wood-based panels, wallpapers, carpets and so on. [4]. This survey shows that the formaldehyde exceeding standard rate in wood-based panel workshop is higher than that in paint and coating workshop and other workshops, and the VOCs exceeding standard rate in paint and coating workshop is higher than that in wood-based panel workshop and other workshops, both higher than outdoor control. The highest formaldehyde value is 70 times that of outdoor control, and the highest VOCs value is 20 times that of outdoor control. The pungent smell can be smelled in the sales place. Most employees have symptoms such as cough, sneezing, sore throat, dry respiratory tract, and some people have symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty in concentration, dizziness, headache, fatigue, etc., indicating that the indoor air in the decoration materials sales place is seriously polluted by formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds, which has different degrees of impact on the health of workers. Therefore, it is of great significance to strengthen indoor air quality monitoring in building materials sales places to protect workers' health and improve indoor air quality. In order to thoroughly improve the indoor air quality of building materials sales places and ensure that indoor air is less polluted by decoration materials, relevant departments should strengthen supervision and monitoring of manufacturers, regularly publish test results, and severely investigate and deal with manufacturers and sellers who operate inferior decoration materials. Increase the research and development of green building materials [5, 6] and implement environmental protection standards for decorative materials. In addition, we should also strengthen occupational health education, raise the awareness of healthy sales and self-protection of salespeople, consciously buy products that meet health requirements, strengthen the ventilation of stores, minimize the density of materials, and prevent the high concentration of harmful substances from gathering. The results of this survey show that the formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds in the ventilated state are lower than those in the unventilated state, and the formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds in the sales shops with an area of less than 50m2 are higher than those in the sales shops with an area of more than 50m2, which shows that strengthening the ventilation of the store, increasing the area of the sales shops, reducing the density of materials placed and improving the air quality in the sales places.
Influence of home decoration on human body
[Theme background]
Housing is an important material basis for people's life, and it is the main place for people to live, rest and reunite with their families. With the rapid development of the national economy and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, while the housing situation is constantly improving, people's requirements for interior decoration are getting higher and higher, and various decoration materials are dazzling. However, if inappropriate decoration materials, household items and even various electrical appliances are used, it is likely to cause indoor environmental pollution. Air conditioner, microwave oven, refrigerator, etc. While bringing a comfortable living environment to human beings, it also causes a series of health problems. In addition, the extensive use of household chemicals such as pesticides and detergents will also cause environmental pollution. In addition, most users lack health knowledge, and human health is greatly threatened. At present, the relationship between home environment and health has attracted worldwide attention. In family decoration, indoor environmental pollution caused by indoor decoration has attracted much attention. In recent years, people at home and abroad have done a lot of research on indoor environmental pollution, and hundreds of toxic and harmful substances have been detected, and more than a dozen are common. Tests show that indoor environmental pollution mainly includes chemical pollution, biological pollution, radioactive pollution and electromagnetic radiation pollution, among which chemical pollution is the most serious pollution source, and chemical pollution mainly comes from building materials and decoration materials. Some of these materials will release a variety of volatile gases and toxic and harmful substances at room temperature, causing pollution to the living environment.
[Purpose and significance of the theme]
Green is always a fashionable and conspicuous term in our eyes now. Everyone wants to live in a green environment and don't want to die in their own homes for no reason. This sounds like a terrible thing. But the truth is always ruthless in front of us. What do we do? Our group chose the topic of the influence of home decoration on people as the research object, in order to better understand the living environment closely related to us in life, make full preparations for our healthy and pollution-free environment, and let us pay attention to green families and healthy environment.
The second achievement-practice test
If fruit flies are put in newly decorated rooms, their lives will come to an abrupt end just after entering the strongest middle age. This biological experiment by Professor Li Shuguang, Dean of the School of Basic Medicine of Tongji University and a famous domestic biological research expert, once again proves that the newly decorated room has serious air pollution, which will do great harm to the survival of creatures, especially people. The director of the Indoor Environment Monitoring Center of China Interior Decoration Association reminds consumers that spring is the season of interior decoration, so we must pay attention to this problem during the decoration process.
Drosophila is a eukaryotic multicellular insect. Its metabolic system and physiological function are basically similar to those of mammals, and it is very sensitive to air quality. Scientists use Drosophila as experimental materials to identify, analyze and discuss the genes that cause human cancer and the process of cancer cell formation. In order to prove the harm of decoration pollution to human health, Professor Li Shuguang, who is in charge of the research work of the National Drosophila Toxicology Laboratory, conducted an indoor environmental pollution injury experiment with Drosophila.
In an ordinary family room decorated for less than a month, Professor Li erected five experimental columns in plum blossom layout according to the requirements of indoor air testing Code, and set up two experimental points at 1.7 m and 0.5 m of each experimental column according to the breathing height of people standing indoors and lying down to sleep, and placed 40 experimental fruit flies at each experimental point, and provided an indoor temperature suitable for the growth of fruit flies. Under normal circumstances, the life span of fruit flies is generally more than 50 days for males and 60 days for females. However, after 25 days of the experiment, the fruit flies "living" in the new house began to die in large numbers. The final experimental results show that the average life span of 800 fruit flies participating in the experiment will be shortened by more than half.
Whether it is for human or animal experiments, the harmfulness of decoration is really unimaginable. Although indoor environmental pollution has attracted the attention of the whole society, indoor environmental pollution caused by architecture, decoration and furniture is still the main problem of indoor environmental pollution, and people's understanding of indoor environment needs to be continuously improved.
The third achievement-pollutant analysis
There are many reasons for decoration pollution, but the most fundamental one is unqualified building materials. There are more than 300 kinds of volatile organic compounds in the air of modern rooms, among which more than 20 kinds are easy to cause harm or even cancer to human body. Studies have confirmed that building and decoration materials are the main potential indoor air pollution sources, while painted furniture, coatings and synthetic fiberboard are the main indoor pollutants.
In recent years, the real estate market in China has been heating up, and the production and sales of building materials have also increased rapidly. As a result, all kinds of unqualified decoration materials flooded the market, and many unqualified manufacturers produced building materials with harmful gases exceeding the standard, which seriously endangered the personal health of consumers.
According to the on-site law enforcement personnel, these coatings are no different from those produced by regular manufacturers on the surface, and the use effect is similar, but the indicators of the coatings are seriously exceeding the standard. Once used in home decoration, it will do great harm to human body.
It is understood that there are five main indicators to evaluate whether the indoor environment is qualified, and these five aspects are related to decoration materials. The two most common are formaldehyde and benzene.
1, formaldehyde can cause many diseases.
Formaldehyde (HCH0) is a colorless and soluble irritating gas. Long-term exposure to low-dose formaldehyde can cause chronic respiratory diseases, menstrual disorders in women, pregnancy syndrome, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, neonatal physical decline, chromosomal abnormalities, and even childhood leukemia.
High concentration of formaldehyde is toxic to nervous system, immune system and liver. Formaldehyde also has teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. According to epidemiological investigation, people who have been exposed to formaldehyde for a long time can cause cancer of nasal cavity, mouth, throat, skin and digestive tract.
Sources of formaldehyde in indoor air
▲ All kinds of urea-formaldehyde resin adhesive wood-based panels used as decorative materials such as wallboard and ceiling, such as plywood, blockboard, medium density fiberboard and particleboard;
▲ Various decorative materials that contain formaldehyde and may be distributed to the outside world, such as wall covering, wallpaper, paint, painted pipes, etc.
▲ Indoor furnishings and daily necessities that may emit formaldehyde, such as furniture, chemical fiber carpets, foam plastics, etc.
▲ Some substances that emit formaldehyde after burning, such as cigarettes and some organic substances. The above-mentioned materials that may emit formaldehyde will aggravate the emission under the conditions of high temperature, high humidity, negative pressure and high load. Among them, the formaldehyde emission of various wood-based panels is the main body of formaldehyde formation in indoor air.
2. Benzene
Colorless liquid with special fragrance is an indoor volatile organic compound. In a poorly ventilated environment, short-term inhalation of high-concentration benzene vapor can cause acute benzene poisoning with central nervous system inhibition as the main factor.
Poison.
Indoor environmental pollution caused by substandard building materials also has long-term characteristics. The research shows that the pollution caused by slow release can last for 4 to 15 years, and it is difficult to detect. "When consumers choose decoration materials, they must try to choose the brand's excellent environmental protection materials."
3. Toluene and xylene
Because benzene is a colorless liquid with an aromatic smell, experts call it an "aromatic killer". Toluene and xylene are homologues of benzene. They are colorless. Mainly from paints, coatings and waterproof materials. Benzene is also used in various coatings, mainly in coatings and various organic solvents. Benzene compounds have been identified as strong carcinogens by the World Health Organization. People who inhale high concentrations of toluene and xylene in a short time will have symptoms of central nervous system anesthesia, ranging from dizziness, nausea and chest tightness to coma and death due to respiratory failure.
4, radon gas
Colorless and odorless gas, soluble in water and some organic solvents, is the only radioactive gas in nature. Radon is an inert radioactive gas, which easily diffuses at body temperature and enters human tissues. Mainly from natural stone, tiles and cement. Radon gas is the decay product of radioactive elements such as uranium and radium in rocks and soil, such as some granite decorative boards, but sometimes radon gas is emitted from bricks and concrete. For example, a stone coal produced in Hunan Province has a radium content of 0.1-10.7×108c/kg. If a house is built with this stone cinder brick, the indoor radon concentration can reach 4.59-8.95× 10 C/L, which is 5- 10% higher than the national standard. International academic groups such as the International Radiation Protection Committee of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Radiation Effects of Atomic Energy agree that living in an environment with high radon concentration for a long time will lead to an increase in the incidence of lung cancer and other diseases. The World Health Organization has listed radon as one of 19 carcinogens. According to scientists' estimation, about 654.38+400 million people in Britain die of lung cancer caused by radon every year. Radon is produced by the decay of uranium and radium. Uranium and uranium are both solids and widely exist in the earth's crust. After decaying into radon, they become gaseous, and radon can continue to decay until it becomes lead. Every decay has α, β and γ radiation. The source of indoor radon is mainly radium contained in soil and building materials. The harm of radon and its fonts to human body is mainly lung cancer, and the incubation period is about 15-40 years. Modern epidemiological data show that radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer after smoking, and lung cancer caused by radon accounts for 10% of the total incidence of lung cancer. In addition to the emission of pollution sources, indoor air tightness, air exchange times, atmospheric pressure and indoor and outdoor temperature difference are all important factors affecting indoor radon content. It is found that the coating on the surface of building materials can play a certain protective role.
5. Ammonia gas
A colorless gas with a strong pungent smell, lighter than air. It mainly comes from cement concrete admixture used in building construction, additives and brighteners for interior decoration materials.
6. Methanol
Used as a solvent for dyes, resins, paints, rubber, etc. Can enter the human body through respiratory tract, digestive tract and skin. It has anesthetic effect on the central nervous system. Methanol and its metabolites can inhibit the activities of some enzymes in retina and nerve cells, and its metabolite formic acid can cause a lot of acidosis in the body. Mild acute poisoning patients have neurasthenia symptoms and a sense of drunkenness; In severe cases, eye pain, fear of light, decreased vision, retinopathy and even nerve atrophy can be seen on examination; In severe cases, symptoms of acidosis and brain edema occur, such as limb spasm, mental disorder and even coma. The main manifestations of chronic poisoning are neurasthenia and autonomic dysfunction, as well as symptoms of mucosal irritation and decreased vision.
7. Acetone
Used in paint, rubber, artificial leather, plastics and dyes. It can be absorbed through respiratory tract and digestive tract. At high concentration, there are symptoms of irritation to eyes and upper respiratory mucosa, and mild anesthesia. Working in a high concentration reactor or storage tank can cause acute poisoning, characterized by dizziness, headache, fatigue and dyskinesia, and then enter a coma. Chronic contact can cause dizziness, throat inflammation, fatigue, irritability and other symptoms.
8. Furfural:
Used in coating, resin, rubber, pharmaceutical and other industries. Can be absorbed through respiratory tract or skin. Its vapor can irritate mucous membrane, causing conjunctivitis, tears, headache and sore throat. Long-term inhalation can cause chronic rhinitis with hypoesthesia. Skin exposed to liquid for a long time is often yellow, which can cause dermatitis and eczema.