A Case-Control Study: Exposure Assessment of VOCs and Formaldehyde for Asthma in Children

Abstract

Based on the results of an ISAAC questionnaire, an asthma case group (33) and a control group (40) were selected in an elementary school in Seongbuk, Seoul. To determine the VOCs and formaldehyde levels of exposure, we performed personal, indoor, and outdoor sampling using passive samplers for 3 days. In comparing the results of the levels of VOCs and formaldehyde exposure between the case and control groups, it was shown that toluene and o-xylene were higher in the case group in personal sampling and the benzene concentration was higher in the case group in indoor measurements (p < 0.1). In outdoor measurements, benzene and methylcyclohexane were higher in the case group (p < 0.05). The VOCs concentration was the highest in the personal sampling. However, the concentration of formaldehyde was the highest in indoor sampling (p < 0.05). In the multiple logistic regression, after adjusting residential and socioeconomic factors, there was no signficant factors. In conclusion, it was shown that the childhood asthma case group was exposed to higher VOCs than the control group, and it was found by measurement methods that VOCs in personal sampling were higher than the values obtained in indoor and outdoor measurements, and the formaldehyde value was the highest in indoor measurements.