Concentrations and determinants of gaseous aldehydes in 162 homes in Strasbourg (France)

Aldehydes concentrations were measured in 162 homes in the Strasbourg area (East of France) in the context of a case/control study pairing asthmatic and non-asthmatic people. The surveyed people have completed a questionnaire aiming to characterize the indoor homes and the people life practices. Gaseous aldehyde levels were quantified by a conventional DNHP-derivatization method followed by HPLC/UV.Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and hexanal were the main encountered aldehydes with mean concentrations of 32.2±14.6, 14.3±9.7 and 8.6±8.1 μg m−3, respectively, while propionaldehyde and benzaldehyde concentrations were usually <3 μg m−3. The aldehydes concentrations simultaneously measured in both bedroom and living room were not significantly different except for formaldehyde and were correlated between them meaning that indoor air was quite homogenous in homes.Combination of information collected in our questionnaires and statistical analysis was used to investigate indoor aldehydes determinants. Even if formaldehyde sources are theoretically well identified, they are multiple so that it was difficult to determine the main parameters influencing its concentrations in domestic environment. Higher hexanal concentrations were related to new coatings such as painting, wallpapers and laminate floorings. Hexanal concentration decreased with both coating and furniture ages so that this compound may be considered as a tracer of these emissions.