Abstract The objective of this study was to provide data on the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, and total dust levels in logistics warehouses, in order to identify substances of concern for indoor air quality (IAQ) and worker exposure in these buildings. Seven warehouses were selected based on the diversity of stored products. Active sampling of VOCs, aldehydes and particles was carried out over the course of 1 d, at 3 to 5 locations within each building, as well as outdoors. Among the 7 warehouses investigated, tire logistics centers were found to have the poorest IAQ, as reflected by significantly higher concentrations of total VOCs compared with the other warehouses, ranging from 1,079 to 3,747 µg/m3 toluene equivalent, compared with 166 to 470 µg/m3 in the other sites. Based on the total VOC concentration, more in-depth investigations were conducted in the working environment involving the most degraded IAQ, namely 1 of the 2 tire warehouses. These additional analyses, including emission cell degassing of a tire sample, a detailed air characterization, and personal exposure measurements, revealed the presence of several CMR substances in these working environments, such as MIBK and aniline.
Robert et al. (Mon,) studied this question.