Introduction
Exposure to air pollutants has for many years been recognised as a major cause of health problems. Historically, pollutants from vehicle exhaust and the burning of fuels were of primary concern, but as urban air quality has generally improved, attention has shifted to vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ). Emissions of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from car interiors can have an adverse effect on VIAQ, raising concerns for passenger health and safety.
As a result of these concerns, VIAQ is of growing importance to the automotive industry, and has culminated in the development of harmonised methods (e.g. ISO 12219 series) to quantitate the release of chemicals from materials used in car manufacture. Methods generally specify the use of environmental chambers, vapour sampling onto sorbent tubes and analysis by thermal desorption (TD) with conventional GC–MS. However, the broad range of sample types and the presence of target compounds at ultra-trace levels, often within complex matrices, provide a challenge to analytical chemists.
Regulations and standard methods
The emission levels and potential impact of any given car trim component can be evaluated, and the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs, i.e. fogging compounds) and specific malodorous compounds emitted under different conditions can be determined. Target compounds include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, styrene, xylenes and phthalates, and limit levels have previously been specified by various automobile associations, including:
- Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
- European Automotive Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
- Global Automakers, formerly the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM).
- Labelling organisations (e.g. TÜV Rhineland Group).
Over the years, hundreds of manufacturer-specific methods have been developed for the sampling and analysis of VOCs and SVOCs, and these employ numerous analytical techniques. Some widely-used methods are:
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