Cite this article: Yang, T.T., Lin, S.T., Shie, R.H., Tseng, C.K. and Ku, C.H. (2016). Characterization of Volatile Organic Pollutant Emissions from Smoldering Mosquito Coils Containing Various Atomic Hydrogen/Carbon Ratios.
Aerosol Air Qual. Res.
16: 2570-2580. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2015.11.0655
HIGHLIGHTS
Emissions from burning mosquito coil were measured by a self-designed chamber system.
Burning mosquito coils produce human carcinogens including benzene and 1,3-butadiene.
VOC emissions were significantly influenced by the C, H and O contents of coils.
Burning coil with a lower H/C ratio and oxygen content minimized total VOC emission.
ABSTRACT
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from smoldering mosquito coils containing various atomic hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratios in different relative humidity were examined. The concentrations of individual VOCs were determined using a preconcentrator-gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) and a flame ion detector (FID). Up to 72 VOCs were found. It is noteworthy that benzene and 1,3-butadiene, human carcinogenic substances, were emitted by all tested mosquito coils during burning. The five types of mosquito coils studied had atomic H/C ratios ranging from 1.23 to 1.57, yielding total VOC emission rates and factors of 7,295.72–14,308.17 µg hr–1 and 3,192.78–6,835.03 µg g–1, respectively. VOC emissions were significantly influenced by the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen contents of coils. According to the analyses of VOC emissions, mosquito coils containing the lowest H/C ratio, a low oxygen content, with suitable additives such as CaCO3 are recommended for minimizing total VOC emission.
Aerosol and Air Quality Research (AAQR) is an independently-run non-profit journal that promotes submissions of high-quality research and strives to be one of the leading aerosol and air quality open-access journals in the world. We use cookies on this website to personalize content to improve your user experience and analyze our traffic. By using this site you agree to its use of cookies.