Indoor chemistry: ozone and volatile organic compounds found in tobacco smoke

Environ Sci Technol. 2001 Jul 1;35(13):2758-64. doi: 10.1021/es001896a.

Abstract

The deliberate generation of ozone in indoor settings has been promoted as a method to reduce the concentration of indoor pollutants. The present study examines the effect of ozone on a subset of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in tobacco smoke. The decays of these compounds were measured in a static room-sized chamber: (1) in the absence of ozone, (2) in the presence of moderate ozone concentrations (< 0.115 ppm), and (3) in the presence of high ozone concentrations (< 1.4 ppm). At moderate ozone concentrations there was little effect on the monitored VOCs. At high ozone concentrations there was a small, unanticipated reduction in the concentration of some of the saturated VOCs, apparently caused by OH radicals produced as a consequence of the ozone/alkene reactions. There was also a much larger reduction in the concentrations of those compounds with unsaturated carbon bonds. However, this reduction was largely matched by an increase in the concentration of a number of aldehydes. Some of these aldehydes are more potent irritants than their precursors. Furthermore, even a relatively small ventilation rate (approximately 0.1 h-1) would produce a greater reduction in the monitored VOCs than that produced by a moderate amount of ozone.

MeSH terms

  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Organic Chemicals / analysis
  • Oxidants, Photochemical / analysis
  • Oxidants, Photochemical / chemistry*
  • Ozone / analysis
  • Ozone / chemistry*
  • Tobacco Smoke Pollution / analysis*
  • Ventilation*
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Organic Chemicals
  • Oxidants, Photochemical
  • Tobacco Smoke Pollution
  • Ozone