Assessment of Ozone Initiated Chemistry in Portable Classrooms

A model was developed to predict concentrations of homogeneous and heterogeneous ozone initiated reaction by-products in portable classrooms. The resulting estimates offer reference values for highly occupied indoor environments. Indoor concentrations of formaldehyde (HCHO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (6-MHO), and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) were predicted based on various parameters of specific portable classrooms in central Texas. The results were not significant to raise concern for formaldehyde, but they did yield relatively high average and maximum concentrations of 4-OPA, 6-MHO, and SOA. While the health implications of SOA are more well known, less has been done to determine the toxicological effects of 4-OPA and 6-MHO. The results of this report indicate that more research should be conducted to further understand the effects of these compounds on the indoor environment, as well as human health.