DETERMINATION OF VOC in AIR

FRESHENERS using GC/FID

PREPARED FOR:
MADAM NUR FADZEELAH ABU KASSIM

PREPARED BY:
GROUP 3 | SEMESTER FEB/JULY19 | PEH2247A

1. NUR AJLAA BINTI ABDU RAHIM

2. MUHAMMAD AMIRUL BIN MAT DZAKI
3. WAN MUHAMAD ZYAID BIN RAZALI
 BACKGROUND
Rooms and offices are often perfumed to mask malodors or to create a special
atmosphere such as aromatherapy. Air fresheners come in numerous versions, including
sprays, gels, oils, liquids, solids, plug-ins, hanging disks, beads, potpourri, wick diffusers, and
scented candles, depend on their reactivity as well as period of release [1]. Fragrance
containing products can be a strong additional source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and may rise the concentration of compounds in the indoor environment [2]. However, every
label on the air freshener never stated the contents of the fragrance and the formulations of
them are also confidential. Even no U.S. regulation requires the disclosure of any ingredient in
a fragrance mixture in consumer fragrance products [3].
Shockingly, 95% of the chemicals in fragrances are synthetic compounds that are derived from
petroleum [4] . Besides, polar chemicals such as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and ketones are of
interest of among the ingredients because of their odorous properties [5]. Erik Uhde and
Nicole Schulz reported in their paper that emission from spray product type of air freshener
contains ethanol as main solvent in this product, with pentanes, 2-propanol and acetone being
present in low concentrations [6]. A study conducted by Wan-Kuen Jo, Jong-Hyo Lee, and Mo-
Keun Kim listed octadecane and pentadecane as among analytes found in air fresheners [7].
 SAMPLE PRODUCTS

Sprayed Air Freshener Scented Candles

 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Fragrances are important ingredients in these products, but some of these substances are known
to cause allergic contact dermatitis by skin exposure [7]. At some point, the exposure of various scents
from air freshener may result in asthmatics and chemically sensitive people suffering from idiopathic
environmental intolerance especially those who having multiple chemical sensitivity [8].
Moreover, complaints of odors from polar chemicals on eye, nose, and throat irritation are often
encountered in a room of an office [4]. Meanwhile, Specific air freshener chemicals (VOCs such as
acetaldehyde, SVOCs such as phthalates, and ultrafine particles from spray product) emitted from air
fresheners have been associated with adverse effects to the neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory,
reproductive, immune, and endocrine systems, and cancer [1].
Aside from affecting human health, VOCs also affecting the environment by contributing to the
production of ozone. VOCs will react with NO to produce NO2 which acts as the reactant for the ozone
production reaction [9]. Even though the air fresheners have been used indoor, but emissions can also
travel outdoors, affect outdoor air quality, and contribute to photochemical smog [1].
 OBJECTIVES

1)To determine the VOCs present in two different brands of

sprayed air fresherners using GC/FID.
2)To compare the VOCs components between the two different
brands of sprayed air fresheners
 EXPERIMENTAL PREPARATION

Take 2 𝜇L of sample
Rinse syringe with
by using rinsed
sample for 5 times
syringe

Let the sample run

Inject into GC
for 12 – 25 minutes to
between time of 0.1s
separate hydrocarbon
– 0.5s
completely
 TABULATION & CALCULATION OF DATA
Sample Retention Time Area (pA.s) Name of % Mole
(min) Component Composition

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡

% 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = × 100
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎
 REFERENCES
[1] A. Steinemann, “Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments,” 2017.
[2] J. Bartsch, E. Uhde, and T. Salthammer, “Analysis of odour compounds from scented consumer products using gas chromatography-mass
spectrometry and gas chromatography-olfactometry,” Anal. Chim. Acta, vol. 904, pp. 98–106, 2016.
[3] A. C. Steinemann et al., “Fragranced consumer products: Chemicals emitted, ingredients unlisted,” Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., vol. 31,
no. 3, pp. 328–333, 2010.
[4] M. Y. Fukayama, O. D. Easterday, P. A. Serafino, K. J. Renskers, H. North-Root, and K. R. Schrankel, “Subchronic inhalation studies of
complex fragrance mixtures in rats and hamsters,” Toxicol. Lett., vol. 111, no. 1–2, pp. 175–187, Dec. 1999.
[5] L. A. Wallace, W. C. Nelson, E. Pellizzari, J. H. Raymer, and K. W. Thomas, “Identification of Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Consumer
Products and Common Microenvironments,” 1991.
[6] E. Uhde and N. Schulz, “Impact of room fragrance products on indoor air quality,” Atmos. Environ., vol. 106, pp. 492–502, 2015.
[7] W.-K. Jo, J.-H. Lee, and M.-K. Kim, “Head-space, small-chamber and in-vehicle tests for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from
air fresheners for the Korean market,” Chemosphere, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 1827–1834, Feb. 2008.
.
[8] W. Ter Burg et al., “Assessment of the risk of respiratory sensitization from fragrance allergens released by air fresheners,” Inhal Toxicol,
vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 310–318, 2014.
[9] S. E. Anderson, S. S. Khurshid, B. J. Meade, E. Lukomska, and J. R. Wells, “Toxicological analysis of limonene reaction products using an in
vitro exposure system,” Toxicol. Vitr., vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 721–730, Mar. 2013.
[10] O. Mohammed, S. Ismail, and R. S. A. Hameed, “Environmental effects of volatile organic compounds on ozone layer,” Pelagia Res. Libr.
Adv. Appl. Sci. Res., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 264–268, 2013.