Benzo(a) pyrene Level in Indoor Environment due to the Use of Unvented Heating Facilities

煖房器具를 사용하는 室內空氣중의 벤조(a) 피렌 成分濃度에 관한 硏究

Indoor air pollution problems, in fact, have been neglected due to the unawareness of its seriousness and the lack of accumulated data. Recently, some movement of research and regulations, however, have been made for several indoor air pollutants. In this study, one of the carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hyrocarbon, Benzo(a) pyrene in indoor airborne particulate, was measured and analyzed to estimate emission strength of BaP from an unvented kerosene heater and to know its level in indoor environment with use of a kerosene heater and a wood-burning fireplace. By the measurement of BaP level in a dark room with air exchange rate of app. 3.0, BaP emission strength of a kerosene heater (11,000Btu/hr) was estimated to be 326.6ng/hr (or 29.7 ng/$10^3$ Btu). With 4-hr operation a day of the kerosene heater in an apartment, the BaP level became 2.97ng/m$^3$ from 0.27ng/m$^3$ of background level. The operation of a wood-burning fireplace app. 2hr a day, on the other hand, increased the BaP level from 0.16ng/m$^3$ of background to 3.53ng/m$^3$. So proper ventilation must be considered seriously when unvented heating facilities are used in indoor environment.