The role of organic fraction of aerosol particles in uptake of indoor SVOC investigated with real time aerosol mass spectrometry

Summary, in English

We investigate the uptake of the Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by laboratory generated and ambient aerosol particles passing through a 1.2 liter chamber covered with vinyl flooring on its internal surfaces. We found approximately five times more efficient DEHP uptake on a mass basis by organic particles (ambient particles) compared to laboratory generated salt particles. The increased uptake is likely due to increased adsorption by pre-existing organic aerosol, which is abundant in the ambient aerosol particles. This implies that compounds with adverse health outcomes are added to particles in indoor air after infiltration into buildings via gas-to-particle conversion of indoor generated SVOCs. We show that aerosol mass spectrometry is a suitable tool for highly time-resolved investigations of this process.