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| VOC components in the air caused by the local polyurethane synthetic leather industries in the Pearl River Delta region. |
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Abstract Two-stage thermal desorption and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to investigate air pollutants emitted from three major factories among many local polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather industries in the Pearl River Delta region. 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected, which were mainly halogenated hydrocarbons, chlorobenzene, aromatic hydrocarbon, esters, amides and ketones. The average concentration of total VOCs was the highest (15.300±0.964) mg/m3 at the manufacturing departments, (12.047±0.977)mg/m3 at semi- finished raw materials departments, (1.912±1.281)mg/m3 at the resin warehouses and the lowest (1.980±0.522) mg/m3 in the outside of the factories. The major components of the VOC spectrum were similar between manufacturing department and semi-finished raw materials department, and were mainly 2-butanone, toluene and ethyl acetate; while toluene, benzene and styrene were the major components in the resin warehouses. Ethyl acetate was found to be a remarkable molecular marker in the VOC source profile of PU synthetic leather industry with the highest percentage of total VOCs up to 36.32%±16.62%.
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Received: 23 January 2009
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