Chemical effects

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ventilation plan) is not sufficient to fall below the guide

2.3 Special assessment values and indicators for value of 2000 ppm, further organizational, ventilation or
indoor workplaces constructional measures are required.
These include, for example, reducing the number of people in
2.3.1 Carbon dioxide the room or installing technically controlled ventilation.

The carbon dioxide concentration indoors is considered a key 2.3.2 Volatile organic compounds
indicator of adequate air quality when humans themselves are
the main source of emissions and other sources are of Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC)
secondary importance. In this context, the CO2 concentration
is also a measure of the effectiveness of room ventilation. An important parameter for assessing indoor air quality is the
sum of volatile organic compounds in the boiling range 50 to 260
According to ASR A3.6 Ventilation [4], the following values are °C, referred to as TVOC. The boiling range largely comprises the
to be used to assess the carbon dioxide concentration: substances that are ana- lyzed on a non-polar column in the
elution range between
• Carbon dioxide concentration below 1 000 n-hexane and n-hexadecane are detectable [21].
ppm: hygienically safe
Although there are no proven dose-response relationships and
• Carbon dioxide concentration between 1 000 and TVOC concentrations are not suitable as the sole criterion for a
2 000 ppm: hygienically conspicuous health assessment of indoor air quality, TVOC concentrations
can nevertheless be used to assess impairments caused by
• Carbon dioxide concentration above 2 000 VOCs in indoor air. For example, it can be seen that the
ppm: hygienically unacceptable likelihood of the occurrence of irritant effects and odor
perceptions increases with increasing TVOC concentrations. The
When exceeding the instantaneous concentration of Committee for Indoor Air Quality Guidelines recommends
1 000 ppm carbon dioxide should be ventilated. If a value of using the five-stage concept of Seifert from 1999 for the
2000 ppm is exceeded, ventilation is required. assessment of TVOC concentrations (see Table 1) [21].
Are the ventilation measures (if necessary introduction of a

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 Chemical effects

Table 1:
Hygienic evaluation of TVOC levels and resulting recommendations for action [21].

Stage Concentration Hygienic evaluation Recommendat

ions
1 ≤ 0.3 mg/m³ Hygienically safe. No further action.
I. d. R. no complaints.
2 > 0.3 to 1 mg/m³ Hygienically still harmless, as far as no Ventilate sufficiently, especially after renovation work.
guideline values are exceeded for individual substances Determine sources of VOCs (e.g. walk-through of the
or groups of substances. room). Check the use of plaster and cleaning agents.
In individual cases, complaints or odor perceptions, Take follow-up measurements to check if guideline values
e.g. after minor renovation measures or new are exceeded under conditions of use.
furnishings in recent weeks.
3 > 1 to 3 mg/m³ Hygienically conspicuous. Check immediately if reference values are exceeded by
Use acceptable only for a limited time (< 12 months) re-measurement under conditions of use. Check
for rooms that are used regularly. conspicuous reference value exceedances for health
Within approximately six months, the TVOC relevance.
concentration should be reduced significantly below In any case: search for sources and check ventilation
the TVOC value measured initially. behavior: ventilate intensively and, if necessary, define
Cases with complaints or odor perceptions, usage and ventilation conditions.
z. e.g. after major renovation work. Control measurement or re-measurement
recommended after approx. one month (under
conditions of use).
If, despite the efforts described above, the TVOC
concentration remains above 1 mg/m3 after 12 months,
adequate remediation measures must be included in
further planning.
4 > 3 to 10 mg/m³ Hygienically questionable. Check immediately if reference values are exceeded by
Use acceptable only for a limited time (< 1 month) for re-measurement under conditions of use. Check
rooms that are used regularly. conspicuous reference value exceedances for health
The TVOC concentration should be reduced below 3 relevance. Toxicological evaluation of individual
mg/m³ within one month. substances or substance groups required.
Cases with accumulation of complaints or odor In any case: carry out source search and ventilate
perceptions, e.g. after major renovation work. intensively and, if necessary, determine conditions of
use and ventilation and arrange for suitable
minimization measures. A possibly necessary stay is
only tolerable with a time restriction per day over a
maximum period to be specified by the health
authority (per day by the hour/time-limited).
Control measurement or re-measurement
recommended after approx. one month (under
conditions of use).
If after one month, despite the efforts described
above, the TVOC concentration is still above 3 mg/m³,
adequate remediation measures must be included in
further planning.
5 > 10 mg/m³ Hygienically unacceptable. Check immediately if reference values are exceeded by
Avoid use of space as far as possible. At most, a stay re-measurement under conditions of use. Check
is permissible per day for a limited period of time. At conspicuous reference value exceedances for health
values above 25 mg/m³, use of the room must be relevance. Toxicological evaluation of individual
avoided. substances or substance groups required.
The TVOC concentration should be reduced below 3 In any case: carry out source search and ventilate
mg/m³ within one month. intensively and determine conditions of use and
Usually complaints and odor perceptions, e.g. after ventilation and arrange for suitable minimization
misuse, accidents. measures. A possibly necessary stay is only tolerable
with a time restriction per day over a maximum
period to be specified by the health department (per
day by the hour/time-limited).
Control measurement or re-measurement
recommended after approx. one month (under
conditions of use).
If the concentration falls below 10 mg/m³ in the
period under consideration due to minimization
measures, but a concentration of 3 mg/m³ is still
exceeded, the recommended measures apply as
under level 4. If the TVOC concentration is still above
10 mg/m³ after one month despite the efforts
described, the room should not be used and adequate
remediation measures must be initiated.

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Chemical effects

Derivation of reference values for individual substances Table 2:

Indoor workplace reference values of the accident insurance institutions
For substances for which no guideline values exist to date,
Indoor workstation-
statistically derived reference values for individual substances can
Connection Reference
be used for evaluation. In accordance with an internationally value
recognized convention, the 95th percentile value of a sufficiently (mg/m³)
large data collective is referred to as the reference value. Here TVOC 1
it is assumed without toxicological evaluation that the Hydrocarbon mixtures,
0,07
"normal condition" encountered in the examined rooms and aliphatic (C9 to C14)
not giving rise to illnesses and complaints can be generally Alkanes
accepted. Reference values - in contrast to guide values - do n-Heptane 0,02
not allow an assessment of the health hazard. If the
n-octane 0,01
reference values are undershot, this does not necessarily
mean that there are no health risks. n-Nonan 0,01
health hazard is present. Conversely, an exceedance of these n-Decan 0,01
values does not automatically indicate a hazard [21]. However, a n-Undecan 0,02
significant exceedance of the value can be an indication that
n-Dodecane 0,01
emission sources are present in the room which may possibly
n-Tridecan 0,01
lead to health impairments.
n-tetradecane 0,01
A prerequisite for the application of reference values is the n-pentadecane 0,01
comparability of the reference areas and the respective Aromatic compounds
interior under consideration. As decisive parameters of
Toluene 0,04
comparability are the equipment and the use
of the interior, the measurement procedure and the Ethylbenzene 0,01
measurement strategy should be highlighted. o-Xylene 0,01
m-Xylene 0,02
Reference values for the assessment of indoor workplaces p-Xylene 0,01
(e.g. offices)
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 0,01

In 2004, reference values for the assessment of indoor Styrene 0,01

workplaces (indoor workplace reference values, IRW) were Alcohols
published for the first time based on measurement data from Butan-1-ol 0,04
the accident insurance institutions [22]. These values were 2-ethylhexan-1-ol 0,02
reviewed in 2011 and updated on the basis of a renewed
Ketones
statistical evaluation of all measurement data documented in
the IFA exposure database MEGA up to September 2010 [23]. Butanone 0,01
Ester
For the statistical evaluation, only measurement data were Ethyl acetate 0,02
considered that were determined stationarily in office rooms
n-Butyl acetate 0,02
without mechanical ventilation and for which the sampling
Ether
duration corresponded to the specifications of the
measurement methods [24; 25]. 2-Butoxyethanol 0,01
2-Phenoxyethanol 0,01
Since, as a rule, more than 700 measured values per Terpenes
connection were evaluated, statistical validation is ensured.
α-Pinene 0,02
Contrary to the internationally applicable convention, the
statutory accident insurance institutions use the lower 90th Lime 0,03
percentile instead of the 95th percentile to derive reference 3-Caren 0,01
values in the interests of prevention. In general, the values Aldehyde
were rounded to two decimal places. The indoor workplace s
reference values derived in 2011 are summarized in Table 2. Formaldehyde 0,06
They are only valid if the measurement program "Indoor Acetaldehyde 0,05
measurements" described in the report "Indoor workplaces -
Hexanal 0,03
recommended procedure for determining the working
Siloxanes
environment" [26] is applied, including the associated
measurement strategy. Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) 0,03
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
0,02
(D4)
Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane
0,06
(D5)

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 Chemical effects

Reference values for the assessment of classrooms Table 3:

Classroom reference values of the accident insurance institutions [28].
From 2004 to 2009, a project was carried out to determine the
concentrations of aldehydes and VOCs in unpolluted Connection Classroom reference value
(mg/m³)
The results of the study were collected in classrooms in
schools in North Rhine-Westphalia [27]. A total of 421 rooms TVOC 0,68
in 119 schools were investigated. The measurement procedure Hydrocarbon mixtures, ali- phatic (C9 0,03
and the analytics are comparable with the MGU measurement to C )14
program "Indoor measurements". Classroom reference values Alkanes
were derived from the measurement data obtained in analogy n-Heptane 0,01
to the procedure for indoor workplace reference values [28].
n-Undecan 0,01
These are summarized in Table 3.
n-Dodecane 0,01
n-Tridecan 0,01
Aromatic compounds
Toluene 0,03
Ethylbenzene 0,01
Xylene (all isomers) 0,02
m-Xylene 0,01
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 0,01
Styrene 0,01
Phenol 0,01
Alcohols
Butan-1-ol 0,03
2-ethylhexan-1-ol 0,02
Ketones
Butanone 0,01
Ester
Ethyl acetate 0,01
n-Butyl acetate 0,01
Ether
2-Butoxyethanol 0,02
2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethanol 0,03
2-Phenoxyethanol 0,02
Terpenes
α-Pinene 0,02
Lime 0,02
3-Caren 0,01
Aldehyde
s
Formaldehyde 0,06
Acetaldehyde 0,05
Hexanal 0,02
Siloxanes
Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) 0,03
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) 0,02
Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) 0,02

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Chemical effects

Single substance evaluation based on other measurement leads. In 2010, based on this survey, results on volatile organic
methods compounds in indoor air in households with children in Germany
were published [29]. For this purpose, the mean concentrations of
The former Federal Health Office pioneered the derivation of chemical pollutants in the living environment of 555 children were
reference values for individual substances with its first determined using passive samplers over a period of one week (see
environmental survey in 1985/86 [17]. In the meantime, the Table 4).
fourth environmental survey, the Kinder-Umwelt-Survey (KUS)
2003/06, has been conducted by the Federal Environment
Agency.

Table 4:
Volatile organic compounds in mg/m³ in indoor air in 555 households with three- to 14-year-old children in Germany, limit of quantification: 0.001 mg/m³
[29].

Connection n < BG Concentrations (mg/m³)

90-% value 95-% value
TVOC 0,8 1,1
Alkanes
n-Heptane 204 0,0127 0,0228
n-octane 257 0,0045 0,0103
n-Nonan 293 0,0052 0,0121
n-Decan 222 0,0082 0,0149
n-Undecan 220 0,0098 0,0148
n-Dodecane 255 0,0048 0,0079
n-Tridecan 323 0,0027 0,0042
n-tetradecane 86 0,0041 0,0054
n-pentadecane 204 0,0027 0,0037
n-Hexadecane 298 0,0019 0,0023
n-Heptadecane 427 0,0014 0,002
n-octadecane 516 <0,0010 0,002
Cyclohexane 152 0,0156 0,0391
Methylcyclohexane 266 0,0104 0,0265
Σ 14 Alkanes 0,0972 0,158
Aromatic compounds
Benzene 137 0,0057 0,0077
Toluene 0 0,0472 0,0576
Ethylbenzene 179 0,0046 0,0068
m-, p-xylene 52 0,0111 0,016
o-Xylene 241 0,0041 0,0055
m-, o-, p-xylene 0,015 0,0212
Isopropylbenzene 516 <0,001 0,0013
n-Propylbenzene 454 0,0017 0,0026
Iso- and n-propylbenzene 0,0014 0,0026
2-ethyltoluene 475 0,0016 0,0023
3-Ethyltoluene 341 0,0033 0,0055
4-ethyltoluene 475 0,0014 0,0026
3- and 4-ethyltoluene 0,0051 0,0083
1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene 446 0,0019 0,0029
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 177 0,0058 0,0103
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 449 0,00017 0,0029
Styrene 329 0,0028 0,0048
Naphthalene 517 <0,001 0,0012

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 Chemical effects

4-Phenylcyclohexene 555 - -
Σ 16 aromatic compounds 0,0887 0,123
Connection n < BG Concentrations (mg/m³)
90-% value 95-% value
Halogenated compounds
1,1,1-Trichloroethane 528 < 0,001 <0,001
Trichloroethene 534 < 0,001 <0,001
Perchloroethene 517 < 0,001 0,0014
1,4-Dichlorobenzene 548 < 0,001 <0,001
Σ 4 halogen-containing compounds 0,0036 0,0054
Oxygenated compounds
Ethyl acetate 12 0,047 0,0708
Butyl acetate 64 0,018 0,0307
1-Methoxy-2-propanol acetate 426 0,002 0,0036
Methyl ethyl ketone 519 < 0,0075 0,0092
Methyl isobutyl ketone 407 0,0019 0,0026
1-Butanol 10 0,0129 0,0176
Isobutanol 505 < 0,0035 0,0049
2-Methoxyethanol 528 < 0,001 0,0012
2-ethoxyethanol 502 < 0,001 0,0015
2-Butoxyethanol 215 0,0058 0,0103
2-Butoxyethoxy-ethanol 374 0,0027 0,006
2-Phenoxyethanol 357 0,0028 0,0037
1-Methoxy-2-propanol 198 0,0053 0,0084
1-Butoxy-2-propanol 295 0,0076 0,0128
1-Phenoxy-2-propanol 544 < 0,001 <0,001
2-ethyl-1-hexanol 86 0,0075 0,0114
Dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether 457 0,0016 0,0032
Texanol 407 0,002 0,0028
TXIB 227 0,004 0,0055
Σ 19 oxygenated compounds 0,130 0,194
Terpenes
α-Pinene 8 0,047 0,0676
β-Pinene 240 0,0042 0,0083
Lime 38 0,0714 0,103
3-Caren 141 0,0146 0,0227
Longifolen 465 0,0013 0,0018
Σ 5 terpenes 0,123 0,184
Aldehydes
Formaldehyde 0 0,041 0,0477
Acetaldehyde 8 0,0372 0,0503
Propanal 0 0,0048 0,0061
Butanal 4 0,0059 0,0081
Pentanal 7 0,0072 0,0106
Hexanal 0 0,0212 0,030
Heptanal 68 0,0024 0,003
Octanal 3 0,0032 0,0036
Nonanal 0 0,0125 0,0147
Decanal 17 0,0048 0,0055
Undecanal 327 0,0023 0,0031
Furfural 21 0,002 0,0028
Benzaldehyde 13 0,0056 0,0066
Isovaleraldehyde 384 0,0031 0,0039
Methylglyoxal 295 0,0141 0,0178

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Chemical effects

Σ 11 Aldehydes (formaldehyde to undecanal) 0,122 0,155

Σ 15 Aldehydes (formaldehyde to methylglyoxal) 0,135 0,170

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In addition, there are further publications by various measuring [4] Technical rules for workplaces: Ventilation (ASR A3.6).
institutes which have derived values for the assessment of GMBl. (2012), p. 92; am. GMBl. (2017), p. 10
indoor air from their own data (e.g. from cases of damage) [e.g.
30]. These investigations were carried out in various indoor [5] Act on Protection against Harmful Effects on the
spaces, including living rooms. Environment Caused by Air Pollution, Noise, Vibrations
and Similar Processes (Federal Immission Control Act -
BImSchG) of May 17, 2013. BGBl. I (2013), p. 1274;
2.3.3 Dusts perm. amend. BGBl. I (2016), p. 2749

For the assessment of possible health hazards due to dust [6] Committee for Indoor Guideline Values. Published by:
exposure, dust fractions depending on the particle size are Umweltbundes- amt, Dessau-Roßlau.
used. The fractions "inhalable dust" (E-fraction) and "inhalable http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/gesundheit/
dust" (F-fraction) are commonly used in occupational safety. kommissionen-arbeitsgruppen/ausschuss-fuer-innen-
"respirable dust" (alveolar fraction, A fraction) do not exactly raumrichtwerte-vormals-ad-hoc
coincide with the fractions PM10 (particulate matter) and PM2.5
commonly used in the field of environmental protection. [7] Announcement of the Federal Environment Agency:
This is understood to be, in a first approximation, the sum of all the Health-hygienic assessment of odorous substances in
Suspended dust particles with a diameter of up to 10 µm and up indoor air with the aid of odor guide values. Bundesge-
to 2.5 µm [31]. sundheitsbl. Gesundheitsforsch. Gesundheitsschutz 57
(2014) No. 1, pp. 148-153.
For indoor workplaces, it is recommended to use the fractions
PM2.5 and PM10 defined in environmental protection for the [8] Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of
assessment of dust exposure, since the concentrations are the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and
mainly caused by the outdoor air and corresponding cleaner air for Europe. OJ EC No. L 152 (2008), p. 1; am.
assessment values are available for this. Thus, the Committee Directive 2015/1480/EU OJ EC No. L 226 (2015), p. 4.
for Indoor Guideline Values (formerly the Ad Hoc Working
Group on Indoor Guideline Values) proposes that, in the absence [9] Directive 2004/107/EC of the European Parliament and of
of combustibles, the following values be applied the Council of 15 December 2004 relating to arsenic,
processes (e.g. tobacco smoke), the guideline value for cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic
particulate matter of the fraction PM2.5 should be 25 µg/m³, which hydrocarbons in ambient air. OJ EC No. L 23 (2005), p. 3;
is the daily value specified by the World Health Organization [32]. perm. amend. Directive 2015/1480/EU, OJ EC No. L 226
(2015),
For the fraction PM10 , on the other hand, the committee does S. 4
not propose an assessment standard. It justifies this on the
grounds that indoor concentrations for this fraction are [10] Thirty-ninth Ordinance on the Implementation of the
significantly higher than those in outdoor air. This means that Federal Immission Control Act - Ordinance on Air
the main sources for this particle fraction are to be found Quality Standards and Emission Ceilings
indoors. Since the composition of this fraction is not known in (39th BImSchV) of August 2, 2010. BGBl. I (2010), p. 1065;
more detail, no conclusive assessment can be made [32]. as amended. BGBl. I (2016), p. 2244

In general, care should be taken to ensure that the dust [11] Air quality guidelines for Europe. WHO Regional Publica-
concentration related to the PM10 fraction does not exceed tions, European Series, No. 23. ed.: World Health Organi-
the EU dust limit value [8] for tropospheric air of 50 µg/m³. zation, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen 1987.

2.4 Literature [12] WHO Air Quality Guidelines for Europe. 2nd ed. WHO
Regional Publications, European Series, No. 91. Ed:
[1] Law on the implementation of occupational health and World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe,
safety measures to improve the safety and health of Copenhagen 2000
employees at work (Occupational Health and Safety Act http://www.euro.who.int/ data/assets/pdf_
- ArbSchG) of August 7, 1996. file/0005/74732/E71922.pdf
BGBl. I (1996), p. 1246; as amended. BGBl. I (2015), p.
1474 [13] WHO Air Quality Guidelines for particulate matter, ozone,
nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Published by the
[2] Ordinance on Workplaces (Arbeitsstättenverordnung - World Health Organization, Geneva 2006.
ArbStättV) of August 12, 2004. BGBl. I (2004), http://www.euro.who.int/ data/assets/pdf_
p. 2179; as amended. BGBl. I (2016), p. 2681 file/0005/78638/E90038.pdf

[3] Ordinance on Protection against Hazardous Substances [14] WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: dampness and
(GefStoffV) of November 26, 2010. BGBl. I (2010), p. mould. Ed.: World Health Organization, Regional Office
1643; perm. amend. BGBl. I (2016), p. 2549 for Europe, Copenhagen 2009.
http://www.euro.who.int/ data/assets/pdf_
file/0017/43325/E92645.pdf.

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