Study of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Air of Fuel Oil Heated Homes
A copy of the Study of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Air of Fuel Oil Heated Homes is available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF, 13KB, 2pg.).
A copy of the Indoor Air Sampling and Analysis Guidance document is also available.
Between 1997 and 2003, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) conducted a study of the occurrence of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the indoor air of homes that heat with fuel oil. The purpose of the study was to characterize the indoor environment of fuel oil heated homes as a means of evaluating post clean-up conditions in residences affected by petroleum spills. The study included basement, living space and outdoor samples from 104 homes, tested during both heating and non-heating seasons. Most of the more than 600 samples collected in the study were analyzed for 69 individual VOCs. This summary report presents the results to help characterize commonly found concentrations of these 69 compounds in the indoor and outdoor air of residential settings heated with fuel oil.
The study is comprised of single family homes heated with fuel oil. With the exception of New York City, homes from across the state were included in the study, with the majority of the homes being near the Albany area. Prospective residences were required to have no past oil spills, no hobbies or home business that regularly use products containing VOCs, and no recent activities utilizing products that contain VOCs (e.g. painting, staining). A pre-sampling inspection was conducted in each home and included completing a building questionnaire to gather building information such as age, basement characteristics, heating and ventilation parameters, location of fuel oil tank, garage placement, etc. and an inventory of products that might be sources of indoor VOCs. When present, the products and their ingredients were listed on the inventory form. In addition, the product containers were screened with a photoionization detector (PID) to identify potential chemical interference during each sampling event and elevated readings were noted on the inventory forms. In most homes, gross sources of VOCs were not identified and containers were generally found to be tightly sealed. In some homes the PID detected elevated VOC levels associated with a product; however, the products were not removed and samples were still collected.
Sampling was performed in a manner consistent with the NYSDOH's February 1, 2005 Indoor Air Sampling and Analysis Guidance. This Guidance is an updated version of the 1997 Draft Indoor Air Sampling and Analysis Protocol and the 2001 Indoor Air Sampling and Analysis Guidance documents, and reflects the procedures followed during the study. Two-hour samples were collected in 6-liter pre-cleaned, passivated, evacuated whole air canisters prepared and analyzed at the NYSDOH's Wadsworth Center laboratory. The samples were analyzed in accordance with EPA Method TO-15 utilizing a Tekmar® AutoCan® concentrator / Agilent® 6890/5973 GC/MSD analytical system. The method detection limits for all compounds except hexachlorobutadiene were 0.25 micrograms per cubic meter. The method detection limit for hexachlorobutadiene was 0.43µg/m3.
The dataset exhibits a lognormal distribution typical of environmental data. The summary table contains the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th percentile values and the upper fence value for each compound. The upper fence is calculated as 1.5 times the interquartile range (difference between the 25th and 75th percentile values) above the 75th percentile value. The upper fence is a boundary used for identifying the presence of outliers in the data. In cases where the 25th or 75th percentiles were below the laboratory detection limit of 0.25 µg/m3, randomly generated values between 0.000 and 0.250 were used in calculating the upper fence. All of the values calculated for the lower fence were negative and are not included in the table. For hexachlorobutadiene, the randomly generated values used to calculate the upper fence ranged from 0.000 to 0.430. All of the values are adjusted to two significant figures.
Summary of Indoor and Outdoor Levels of Volatile Organic Compounds from Fuel Oil Heated Homes in NYS, 1997-2003
All Results are Micrograms Per Cubic Meter
Revised November 14, 2005
| Indoor | Outdoor | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical | N | ND(%) | 25th Pctl | 50th Pctl | 75th Pctl | 90th Pctl | Upper F | N | ND(%) | 25th Pctl | 50th Pctl | 75th Pctl | 90th Pctl | Upper F |
| 1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE | 400 | 41.5% | <0.25 | 0.33 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 200 | 62.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.33 | 0.60 | 0.64 |
| 1,1,2,2-TETRACHLOROETHANE | 400 | 96.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 | 200 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.36 |
| 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | 400 | 96.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 | 200 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.34 |
| 1,1,2-TRICHLOROTRIFLUOROETHANE | 400 | 44.5% | <0.25 | 0.54 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 200 | 48.5% | <0.25 | 0.46 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| 1,1-DICHLOROETHANE | 400 | 99.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 | 200 | 100.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.36 |
| 1,1-DICHLOROETHENE | 400 | 93.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 | 200 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 |
| 1,2,3-TRIMETHYLBENZENE | 400 | 41.0% | <0.25 | 0.39 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 200 | 82.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 0.46 |
| 1,2,4-TRICHLOROBENZENE | 400 | 79.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 3.4 | 0.47 | 200 | 84.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 2.3 | 0.44 |
| 1,2,4-TRIMETHYLBENZENE | 400 | 12.3% | 0.69 | 1.9 | 4.3 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 200 | 54.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.81 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| 1,2-DIBROMOETHANE | 400 | 99.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 | 200 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.37 |
| 1,2-DICHLOROBENZENE | 400 | 78.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.72 | 0.48 | 200 | 83.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.60 | 0.42 |
| 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE | 400 | 98.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.37 | 200 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.42 |
| 1,2-DICHLOROPROPANE | 400 | 97.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 200 | 97.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 |
| 1,2-DICHLOROTETRAFLUOROETHANE | 400 | 87.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.52 | 0.42 | 200 | 84.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.56 | 0.48 |
| 1,3,5-TRIMETHYLBENZENE | 400 | 25.0% | 0.27 | 0.64 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 200 | 71.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.34 | 0.69 | 0.71 |
| 1,3-DICHLOROBENZENE | 400 | 79.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.60 | 0.46 | 200 | 85.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.48 | 0.42 |
| 1,4-DICHLOROBENZENE | 400 | 66.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.54 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 200 | 82.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.54 | 0.46 |
| 2,3-DIMETHYLPENTANE | 400 | 32.3% | <0.25 | 0.65 | 2.2 | 7.5 | 5.2 | 200 | 73.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.31 | 0.96 | 0.66 |
| 2,4-DIMETHYLPENTANE | 400 | 35.8% | <0.25 | 0.57 | 2.0 | 7.7 | 4.7 | 200 | 69.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.37 | 0.84 | 0.78 |
| ACETONE | 227 | 5.3% | 10 | 21 | 52 | 110 | 115 | 114 | 6.1% | 3.4 | 6.4 | 14 | 44 | 30 |
| ALPHA-PINENE | 400 | 19.8% | 0.33 | 1.5 | 4.4 | 14 | 10 | 200 | 61.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.53 | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| BENZENE | 400 | 7.0% | 1.1 | 2.1 | 5.9 | 15 | 13 | 200 | 9.0% | 0.57 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
| BROMOMETHANE | 400 | 77.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.60 | 0.48 | 200 | 81.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.47 | 0.45 |
| CARBON TETRACHLORIDE | 400 | 50.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.59 | 0.81 | 1.3 | 200 | 54.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.6 | 0.81 | 1.2 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | 400 | 99.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.41 | 200 | 100.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 |
| CHLOROETHANE | 400 | 90.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 200 | 94.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 |
| CHLOROFORM | 400 | 53.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.54 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 200 | 84.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 0.48 |
| CHLOROMETHANE | 400 | 46.0% | <0.25 | 0.50 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 200 | 48.0% | <0.25 | 0.51 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 4.3 |
| CIS-1,2-DICHLOROETHENE | 400 | 91.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.41 | 200 | 96.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 |
| CIS-1,3-DICHLOROPROPENE | 400 | 97.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 | 200 | 97.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 |
| CYCLOHEPTANE | 400 | 39.8% | <0.25 | 0.52 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 200 | 74.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.28 | 0.68 | 0.56 |
| CYCLOHEXANE | 400 | 31.3% | <0.25 | 0.81 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 6.3 | 200 | 68.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.43 | 1.3 | 0.94 |
| DICHLORODIFLUOROMETHANE | 400 | 53.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 4.1 | 15 | 10 | 200 | 54.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 4.2 | 7.5 | 10 |
| d-LIMONENE | 400 | 19.3% | 0.50 | 2.8 | 8.4 | 24 | 20 | 199 | 77.9% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.83 | 0.48 |
| ETHYL ALCOHOL | 227 | 1.3% | 27 | 160 | 540 | 1400 | 1300 | 114 | 0.9% | 3.3 | 6.9 | 16 | 31 | 34 |
| ETHYLBENZENE | 400 | 14.5% | 0.41 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 200 | 53.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.48 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| ETHYLCYCLOHEXANE | 400 | 37.3% | <0.25 | 0.44 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 200 | 82.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.46 | 0.45 |
| ETHYLMETHACRYLATE | 227 | 94.7% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 114 | 100.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 |
| HEXACHLORO-1,3-BUTADIENE | 400 | 76.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 4.6 | 0.49 | 200 | 81.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 2.3 | 0.46 |
| ISO-OCTANE | 400 | 32.5% | <0.25 | 0.56 | 2.1 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 200 | 69.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.33 | 0.87 | 0.67 |
| ISOPRENE | 400 | 11.0% | 0.81 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 200 | 55.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.86 | 2.8 | 2.0 |
| ISOPROPYLBENZENE | 400 | 64.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 | 0.88 | 0.82 | 200 | 91.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.38 |
| M,P-XYLENE | 400 | 13.5% | 0.50 | 1.5 | 4.6 | 12 | 11 | 200 | 55.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.48 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| METHYL ETHYL KETONE | 227 | 8.8% | 1.4 | 3.4 | 7.3 | 16 | 16 | 114 | 7.0% | 0.76 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE | 227 | 44.9% | <0.25 | 0.33 | 0.86 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 114 | 75.4% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.94 | 0.50 |
| METHYLCYCLOHEXANE | 400 | 28.0% | <0.25 | 0.68 | 1.9 | 6.4 | 4.5 | 200 | 70.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.34 | 0.78 | 0.70 |
| METHYLENE CHLORIDE | 400 | 22.3% | 0.31 | 1.4 | 6.6 | 22 | 16 | 200 | 50.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.73 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| METHYLMETHACRYLATE | 227 | 86.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.45 | 0.43 | 114 | 96.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.41 |
| METHYL-tert-BUTYL ETHER | 227 | 30.4% | <0.25 | 0.79 | 5.6 | 27 | 14 | 114 | 46.5% | <0.25 | 0.27 | 0.86 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| n-BUTYLBENZENE | 400 | 55.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.49 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 200 | 87.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.33 | 0.41 |
| n-DECANE | 400 | 10.0% | 1.2 | 2.7 | 6.6 | 16 | 15 | 200 | 32.5% | <0.25 | 0.84 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.7 |
| n-DODECANE | 400 | 18.3% | 0.42 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 11 | 9.2 | 200 | 47.0% | <0.25 | 0.45 | 1.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| n-HEPTANE | 400 | 4.8% | 1.0 | 2.8 | 7.6 | 19 | 18 | 200 | 28.5% | <0.25 | 0.49 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| n-HEXANE | 400 | 12.5% | 0.63 | 1.6 | 6.0 | 18 | 14 | 200 | 39.5% | <0.25 | 0.42 | 0.88 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| n-NONANE | 400 | 16.3% | 0.37 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 200 | 65.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.37 | 0.78 | 0.74 |
| n-OCTANE | 400 | 21.0% | 0.33 | 0.89 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 200 | 56.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.65 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| n-PROPYLBENZENE | 400 | 51.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.69 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 200 | 92.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 |
| n-UNDECANE | 400 | 14.8% | 0.57 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 12 | 12 | 200 | 52.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.67 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| O-XYLENE | 400 | 17.8% | 0.39 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 200 | 60.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.56 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| sec-BUTYLBENZENE | 400 | 56.3% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.55 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 200 | 80.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.44 | 0.46 |
| STYRENE | 400 | 43.8% | <0.25 | 0.30 | 0.64 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 200 | 79.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.43 | 0.45 |
| tert-BUTYLBENZENE | 400 | 57.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.60 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 200 | 88.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.27 | 0.44 |
| TETRACHLOROETHENE | 400 | 46.8% | <0.25 | 0.34 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 200 | 71.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.34 | 0.81 | 0.68 |
| TETRAHYDROFURAN | 227 | 72.2% | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.35 | 3.3 | 0.78 | 114 | 94.7% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 |
| TOLUENE | 400 | 6.3% | 3.5 | 9.6 | 24.8 | 58 | 57 | 200 | 6.0% | 0.60 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 5.9 | 5.1 |
| TRANS-1,3-DICHLOROPROPENE | 400 | 100.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.40 | 200 | 100.0% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.41 |
| TRICHLOROETHENE | 400 | 80.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.48 | 0.46 | 200 | 88.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.32 | 0.43 |
| TRICHLOROFLUOROMETHANE | 400 | 10.5% | 1.1 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 17 | 12 | 200 | 35.0% | <0.25 | 0.78 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 5.1 |
| VINYL CHLORIDE | 400 | 96.8% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.37 | 200 | 98.5% | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | <0.25 | 0.39 |
| N: Total Number of Samples ND(%): % of nondetects Upper F: Upper Fence, see accompanying text for this calculation |
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