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Environmental and Occupational Health: Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Gases

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2293

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Claudiu T. Lungu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Interests: environmental health; occupational health; occupational and environmental exposure; activated carbon fibers; respiratory protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will report findings related to environmental and occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOC) and gases. The scope of this effort is to build consensus among scientists and stakeholders regarding the state of knowledge on exposures, health effects, and measures to reduce these harmful effects among workers, consumers, and the general public, with emphases on vulnerable categories such as children, pregnant women, and those with compromised health due to chronic diseases. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitously used in multiple industries and vocational sectors, as well as being present in many consumer products. Millions of employees work in occupations known to use VOC-containing products, indicating a high potential for exposure to VOC and other gases that may be capable of inducing harmful health effects. Similarly, consumers could be exposed to gases and vapors that off-gas from building materials such as carpets, paints, upholstery, or varnishes, or during recreational activities such as pottery, painting, and using candles and scent-emitting products. Health effects associated with gas and vapor exposures can range from acute effects such as headache, nausea, and respiratory discomfort to more serious chronic effects such as persistent neurological effects or, in some instances, cancer. This Special Issue is seeking articles which document environmental and occupational exposure to these chemicals and their health effects, means to measure and evaluate exposures, and methods for limiting exposures and control of exposures including personal protective equipment (PPE).

Prof. Dr. Claudiu T. Lungu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • volatile organic compounds (VOC)
  • neurological effects
  • exposure
  • solvents
  • respiratory protection
  • activated carbon
  • off-gassing
  • vapor emission.

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 627 KiB  
Communication
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Contamination in Hotel Rooms: A Pilot Study to Understand Sources and Health Risks
by Adam Nored, Xianqiang Fu, Rui Qi, Namuun Batbaatar and Chunrong Jia
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(11), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111464 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1087
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic drove the use of cleaning products, causing organic solvent contamination in hospitality environments. This pilot study investigated the presence and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in selected hotels in four different US cities with varying star ratings at the [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic drove the use of cleaning products, causing organic solvent contamination in hospitality environments. This pilot study investigated the presence and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in selected hotels in four different US cities with varying star ratings at the end of the pandemic period. Targeting 139 VOCs, 57 were detected across eight groups: alcohols, halocarbons, aromatics, alkanes, terpenes, carbonyls, ethers, and esters, in the indoor air. Alcohols were the most prevalent, especially in lower-rated hotels, suggesting higher use of cleaning supplies. Elevated levels of aromatics were detected in hotels rated under three stars, with a notable disparity compared to higher-rated hotels. Additionally, alkanes and terpenes such as n-tetradecane and d-limonene were consistently detected. Health risk assessment showed concentrations of all VOCs remained below their health criteria for customers. The cumulative cancer risk was 2.25 × 10−6 for hotel workers from chronic occupational exposure to eight carcinogenic VOCs, representing 1/3 of the lifetime risk from these chemicals in the ambient air. Cancer risks from individual VOCs ranged from 0.001 × 10−6 to 1.07 × 10−6, with chloroform accounting for nearly half of the cumulative risk. The findings underscore the need for careful selection and use of furnishings and cleaning supplies and for effective indoor air pollution control and management in hotel indoor environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Occupational Health: Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Gases)
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20 pages, 3714 KiB  
Article
CO2 Breathing Prior to Simulated Diving Increases Decompression Sickness Risk in a Mouse Model: The Microbiota Trail Is Not Forgotten
by Lucille Daubresse, Aurélie Portas, Alexandrine Bertaud, Marion Marlinge, Sandrine Gaillard, Jean-Jacques Risso, Céline Ramdani, Jean-Claude Rostain, Nabil Adjiriou, Anne-Virginie Desruelle, Jean-Eric Blatteau, Régis Guieu and Nicolas Vallée
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091141 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 805
Abstract
Decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological disorders is the leading cause of major diving accidents treated in hyperbaric chambers. Exposure to high levels of CO2 during diving is a safety concern for occupational groups at risk of DCS. However, the effects of prior [...] Read more.
Decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological disorders is the leading cause of major diving accidents treated in hyperbaric chambers. Exposure to high levels of CO2 during diving is a safety concern for occupational groups at risk of DCS. However, the effects of prior exposure to CO2 have never been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of CO2 breathing prior to a provocative dive on the occurrence of DCS in mice. Fifty mice were exposed to a maximum CO2 concentration of 70 hPa, i.e., 7% at atmospheric pressure, for one hour at atmospheric pressure. Another 50 mice breathing air under similar conditions served as controls. In the AIR group (control), 22 out of 50 mice showed post-dive symptoms compared to 44 out of 50 in the CO2 group (p < 0.001). We found that CO2 breathing is associated with a decrease in body temperature in mice and that CO2 exposure dramatically increases the incidence of DCS (p < 0.001). More unexpectedly, it appears that the lower temperature of the animals even before exposure to the accident-prone protocol leads to an unfavorable prognosis (p = 0.046). This study also suggests that the composition of the microbiota may influence thermogenesis and thus accidentology. Depending on prior exposure, some of the bacterial genera identified in this work could be perceived as beneficial or pathogenic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Occupational Health: Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Gases)
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