Pollution level and seasonal variations of carbonyl compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons and TVOC in a furniture mall in Beijing, China

• We report the high level of major organic air pollutants in a large furniture mall.
• We report the seasonal variations of these air pollutants in the furniture mall.
• Carbonyl compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons show different seasonal patterns.

The indoor and outdoor concentrations of carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones), aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e. benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o,m,p-xylenes, and styrene), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were monitored in a Beijing-based large furniture mall between January and July 2010. The furniture mall was heavily polluted with these organic air pollutants, with indoor concentrations much higher than outdoors. Formaldehyde was the most abundant carbonyl compound, followed by acetone, acetaldehyde, C4 carbonyls (2-butanone and butyraldehyde) and hexaldehyde, while propionaldehyde, benzaldehyde and valeraldehyde occurred at lower level. The abundance of aromatic hydrocarbons decreases in the following order: o,m,p-xylenes, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene and benzene. The carbonyl compounds had significantly higher indoor concentrations in summer than in winter and spring, with total concentrations of 621.7 ± 218.2, 106.8 ± 63.9 and 115.8 ± 23.7 μg m−3, respectively, due to seasonal differences in environmental factors, i.e. temperature and relative humidity. In contrast, no significant seasonal difference was observed for indoor aromatic hydrocarbon and TVOC concentrations, although the average concentrations were higher in summer than in the other two seasons. No significant correlation was observed between carbonyl compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons. This lack of correlation is further evidenced by their different distribution in specific sections of the furniture mall.