Ozone-initiated terpene reaction products in five European offices: replacement of a floor cleaning agent.

Cleaning agents often emit terpenes that react rapidly with ozone. These ozone-initiated reactions, which occur in the gas-phase and on surfaces, produce a host of gaseous and particulate oxygenated compounds with possible adverse health effects in the eyes and airways. Within the European Union (EU) project OFFICAIR, common ozone-initiated reaction products were measured before and after the replacement of the regular floor cleaning agent with a preselected low emitting floor cleaning agent in four offices located in four EU countries. One reference office in a fifth country did not use any floor cleaning agent. Limonene, α-pinene, 3-carene, dihydromyrcenol, geraniol, linalool, and α-terpineol were targeted for measurement together with the common terpene oxidation products formaldehyde, 4-acetyl-1-methylcyclohexene (4-AMCH), 3-isopropenyl-6-oxo-heptanal (IPOH), 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one, (6-MHO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), and dihydrocarvone (DHC). Two-hour air samples on Tenax TA and DNPH cartridges were taken in the morning, noon, and in the afternoon and analyzed by thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and HPLC/UV analysis, respectively. Ozone was measured in all sites. All the regular cleaning agents emitted terpenes, mainly limonene and linalool. After the replacement of the cleaning agent, substantially lower concentrations of limonene and formaldehyde were observed. Some of the oxidation product concentrations, in particular that of 4-OPA, were also reduced in line with limonene. Maximum 2 h averaged concentrations of formaldehyde, 4-AMCH, 6-MHO, and IPOH would not give rise to acute eye irritation-related symptoms in office workers; similarly, 6-AMCH, DHC and 4-OPA would not result in airflow limitation to the airways.

Simple laboratory-made system for the determination of C2-C7 hydrocarbons relevant to photochemical smog pollution.

A simple gas chromatographic system suitable for determining volatile organic compounds from C2 to C7 in air is described. It consists of a capillary cold trap filled with graphitic carbon, a thermodesorbing device, a capillary gas chromatograph equipped with an alumina column and a flame ionization detector. Dry, as well as humid, air samples can be analysed with our system. Up to 2-1 samples of air can be enriched on our trapping device by using Nafion membranes for removing water. Direct analysis of air samples is possible by enriching 250 ml on the carbon trap. The recovery, sensitivity and linearity of our system have been checked with standard mixtures and real samples. The performances have been compared with those afforded by a commercially available instrument exploiting a different enrichment procedure. The results obtained show that our analyser can be successfully applied to determinations of C2 to C7 hydrocarbons present in air samples at levels of 0.01 ppb (v/v).

[Blood gas analysis and evaluation of pulmonary functional damage in bronchiolitis]. / Indagine emogasanalitica e valutazione del danno funzionale polmonare nella bronchiolite.

212 Sucklings affected with bronchiolitis were evaluated monitoring values of haematic gases and acid-base balance. The patients were differentiated in three groups: Hypoxemia--Hypercapnia (3.7%). Hypoxemia--Normocapnia (38.2%). Normoxemia--Hypocapnia (58.1%). Metabolic acidosis was detected in 55.1% of cases. The different value of haematic gases was correlated with entity of the pulmonary functional damage.

[Biochemical monitoring of the insufficient systemic perfusion in bronchiolitis]. / Monitoraggio biochimico di deficit di perfusione sistemica nella bronchiolite.

Biochemical monitoring was performed on 113 sucklings affected with bronchiolitis in order to evaluate early onset of insufficient systemic perfusion. Values of haematic lactate, GPT and CPK levels in the serum, partial tension of haematic gases were evaluated on first day of hospitalization. Haemogasanalytic monitoring made it possible to differentiate two groups of infants: 21 patients with hypoxemia and 92 patients with normoxemia. Monitoring of lactatemia, CPK and GPT activity evidenced following values: hyperlactemia (66.6%), increased CPK levels (47.6%), increased GPT levels (14.2%) in the group of infants with hypoxemia. Hyperlactemia (55.4%), increased CPK levels (62%), increased GPT levels (19.5%) in the group of patients with normoxemia. These findings show no significant difference between the two groups and frequent occurrence of tissular hypoxia attributable to insufficient systemic perfusion. Moreover the results of such biochemical monitoring permit precise indication about appropriate treatment.