Simulation Program i-SVOC User's Guide

by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are a diverse group of organic chemicals with vapor pressures between 10-14 and 10-4 atm. Many SVOCs are ubiquitous in the indoor environment. Over a hundred SVOCs are among the chemicals detected in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention biomonitoring program. Examples of common indoor SVOCs include polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), phthalates, and pesticides. The presence of SVOCs in the indoor environment and the potential effect of these chemicals on human exposure and health have been the topics of active research in recent years. Because SVOCs tend to bind to interior surfaces and particulate matter, indoor exposure to these chemicals can take place via multiple routes including inhalation of air and suspended particulate matter, dermal contact with contaminated surfaces and dust, and incidental ingestion of dust. Thus, understanding the presence and distribution of SVOCs in buildings is critical to exposure estimation.

92 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2014