Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) indoors is thought to be associated with several adverse health effects. However, we still lack concentration-response (C-R) relationships between VOC levels in civil buildings and various health outcomes. For this paper, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to summarize related associations and C-R relationships. Four databases were searched to collect all relevant studies published between January 1980 and December 2017. A total of 39 studies were identified in the systematic review, and 32 of these were included in the meta-analysis. We found that the pooled relative risk (RR) for leukemia was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01-1.05) per 1 μg/m3 increase of benzene and 1.25 (95%CI: 1.14-1.37) per 0.1 μg/m3 increase of butadiene. The pooled RRs for asthma were 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02-1.14), 1.02 (95% CI: 1.00-1.04), and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02-1.06) per 1 μg/m3 increase of benzene, toluene, and p-dichlorobenzene, respectively. The pooled RR for low birth weight was 1.12 (95% CI: 1.05-1.19) per 1 μg/m3 increase of benzene. Our findings provide robust evidence for associations between benzene and leukemia, asthma, and low birth weight, as well as for health effects of some other VOCs.
Keywords: asthma; civil building; health outcome; leukemia; meta-analysis; volatile organic compound.
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