Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Contamination in Hotel Rooms: A Pilot Study to Understand Sources and Health Risks

Adam Nored, Xianqiang Fu, Rui Qi, Namuun Batbaatar and Chunrong Jia ()
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Adam Nored: School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Xianqiang Fu: School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Rui Qi: Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Namuun Batbaatar: School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
Chunrong Jia: School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 11, 1-13

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 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.

Keywords: volatile organic compounds; hotel; indoor; cancer risk; passive sampling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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