Measurement of indoor formaldehyde and benzene series in residential houses of Xinxiang City

  Objective  To understand the overall situation of indoor decoration pollution of residential houses in Xinxiang City, and furthermore to improve the residents' knowledge level and safety protection awareness of indoor environmental pollution.

  Methods  During 2015 to 2019, the indoor formaldehyde and benzene series were detected for 985 times in 271 residential houses.

  Results  The non-compliance of indoor formaldehyde in the air of residential buildings was 36.55%(360/985). There was a strong positive correlation between non-compliance of formaldehyde and indoor temperature(r_s=0.928, P < 0.01). In the hot summer(June, July and August) with annual temperature > 29℃, the non-compliance of formaldehyde reached as high as 53.16%, 65.62% and 77.05%, respectively. Within 5 years after decoration, the formaldehyde concentration did not decrease with the extension of decoration time. The non-compliance of benzene, toluene and xylene was 1.12%(11/982), 6.15%(4/65) and 3.08%(2/65), respectively.

  Conclusions  The newly decorated residents should have natural ventilation for at least 3-6 months, and indoor air quality should be evaluated in summer. The government should further strengthen the supervision of the decoration market, formulate corresponding mandatory standards, conduct research on aldehyde-free decoration materials, and protect people's health.