Investigation on air quality of specific indoor environments—spa salons located in Gdynia, Poland

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 28; no. 42; pp. 59214 - 59232
• Main Authors: Pytel, Klaudia, Marcinkowska, Renata, Zabiegała, Bożena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-11-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Air quality; Air sampling; Aquatic Pollution; Aromatherapy; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Camphene; Chemical composition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Essential oils; Flame ionization detectors; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Indoor air pollution; Indoor environments; Ionization; Limonene; Linalool; Occupational health; Oils & fats; Organic compounds; Poland; Recent Developments and Innovative Strategies in Environmental Sciences in Europe; Spas; Terpenes; Terpenes - analysis; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; α-Pinene; Poland; Volatile organic compounds; Spa salons; Essential oils; Aromatherapy; Terpenes; Indoor air; Indoor air quality
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09860-4

Due to excessive application of essential oils and scented products in spa salons during aromatherapy and massage sessions, the elevated concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), particularly terpenes, which are known as secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, is expected there. This study was aimed at determination of VOCs with a particular regard to terpenes in air samples collected in selected spa salons located in Northern Poland. Active air sampling was conducted before and after treatments. Samples were analyzed with the use of thermal desorption gas chromatography coupled with flame-ionization detector (TD-GC-FID) and mass spectrometer (TD-GC-MS). Obtained results allowed to characterize chemical composition of indoor air of spa salons and also to relate the dependence between applied essential oil and indoor air chemical composition. It has been proved that (i) spa salons are characterized by TVOC concentrations exceeding recommended values of 300–400 μg m
−3
in most of examined cases, reaching up to several thousand of micrograms per cubic meter, (ii) TVOC concentration is strictly related to salon characteristics and carried out treatments, (iii) terpenes constitute a significant part of TVOCs present in spa indoor air, from 22 up to 86%, (iv) most commonly investigated terpenes in the literature (
d
-limonene, α-pinene, camphene, and linalool) were also determined at the highest concentration levels in this study and (v) VOC chemical composition is strictly dependent on the type of applied essential oils. On the basis of obtained results, it may be stated that extensive application of essential oils rich in terpenes can significantly alter indoor air chemistry of spa salons, thereby influencing health and well-being of employees working there.
Graphical abstract