1.0 TITLE:

Assessment of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in the Student Residential College

Office 3 by using Photovac 2020PRO Photoionization Detector.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

2.1 To measure the Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in the Student

Residential College Office 3 at several selected sampling point

2.2 To compare the Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) concentration

collected reading with the acceptable limits in industrial code practices of indoor

air quality 2010

3.0 INTRODUCTION

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are potentially dangerous compounds created by

both human industry and natural processes that vaporize under normal atmospheric

conditions. VOC levels are much higher in indoor environments as they can be emitted by

many manufactured products such as carpet, newspaper, air freshener, photocopying,

furniture, paint, office equipment and cleaning supplies. Some of the health conditions that

are caused by VOCs are perception of smells, mucous membrane annoyance, exacerbation of

asthma, fatigue, difficulty in focusing and carcinogenicity (ASHRAE, 2009). ASHRAE and

ICOP-IAQ, Malaysia 2010 recommend the threshold limit for TVOC to be below 3 ppm.

Outdoor sources can include landfills, industry, and hydrocarbon emissions. Prolonged human

exposure to VOCs has been known to cause respiratory problems, cancer, and neurological

damage. Environmental damage can include air, water, and soil pollution.

4.0 INSTRUMENT

Figure 1: An illustration of Photovac 2020PRO Photoionization Detector

Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were measured in real-time using a

Photovac 2020 ppb Pro Photoionization Detector as shown on figure above. 2020 ppb PRO

was stable, linear, and rugged hand-held portable photo ionization detector and was equipped

standard with a new high performance 10.6 eV lamp, and has an optional 11.7 eV lamp for

ionizing chlorinated compounds. The PID provides part-per-billion sensitivity or TVOCs with

a detectable range from 0 - 999 ppb. The UV lamp is easy to remove and has a new lamp

condition assessment indicator for cleaning or replacement. Textured grip and large keys

make the 2020 ppb PRO easy to carry and use, even while wearing triplelayer gloves. The

large 8-line backlit display is easy to read with large fonts.

This instrument was use to measure the concentration of TVOC (ppm) in the Student

Residential College Office 3. This instrument was place at the centre of the rooms and the

direct reading is taken from the instrument. The five minutes short-term measurements were

taken at each sampling point and then the average of measurement was determined after

logging into software to further analyze.

The following procedure was followed to measure total TVOCs:

1) The instrument was turned on by pressing and holding the MODE key.

2) When the display turned on, the MODE key was released.

3) When the screen showed reading, the sampling was on.

4) When the spot was checking done, the MODE key was pressed and held for 3 seconds.

5) When the screen display showed “unit off” the finger was released from the MODE key.

5.0 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC)

Ten sampling points have been conducted by using a direct reading instrument

(Photovac 2020PRO Photoionization Detector) for measure the total volatile organic

compound (TVOC) in the Student Residential College 3 Office. The duration of sampling for

each point is 5 minutes with interval 5 seconds. The maximum reading, minimum reading and

the average reading of each point are then been identified, calculated and tabulated as below:

SAMPLING POINT READING (ppm)Minimum Maximum Average

12.50 3.10 3.01

21.70 3.10 2.19

31.50 2.00 1.70

41.50 2.20 1.86

51.60 2.20 2.06

61.40 2.20 1.83

71.80 1.90 1.87

81.80 2.10 2.01

91.10 2.70 2.46

101.20 1.90 1.34

6.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, concentration of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in overall

of sampling point of the Student Residential College Office 3 is not exceeding the acceptable

limit as comply by ICOP-IAQ, Malaysia 2010. But, some of the sampling points in that

building were exceed the acceptable limit. Installation of carpet, furniture and air freshener is

the main reason behind this situation. The proper selection of furniture with low VOCs

content and good housekeeping procedure can conserve the low level of contaminants

exposure. In addition, discontinue the use of strong scented air fresheners/cleaners (e.g., citrus

cleaner in main hallway) in the building. Consider having the carpeting in main hallway

professionally cleaned to remove/reduce residual odors. The development of future IAQ

commissioning guideline is important to improve health standard and safety of the occupants.

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