Investigations of VOCs in buildings close to service stations

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to cause a variety of health issues, the seriousness of which depends on exposure conditions. The source of such compounds can be naturally occurring as well as anthropogenic. Exposure conditions also vary geographically, depending on how industrialised an area is. Several studies have shown that in urban environments one of the greatest contributors to VOCs are emissions from gas service stations. This appears to be the case in Malta. Studies conducted to date have shown that measured concentrations of VOCs around gas service stations are well above currently allowed thresholds. Investigations have also shown that these problems persist, to a lesser extent, even further away from these sources, mostly due to traffic emissions.