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Investigation of Mold Growth in Indoor School Buildings by Monitoring Outgassed Methyl Benzoate as a MVOC Biomarker

Department of Environmental Science (Chemistry), S.W.G.C., Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, NL A2H 6P9 Canada, dparkins{at}swgc.mun.ca

Tonia J. Churchill

Department of Environmental Science (Chemistry), S.W.G.C., Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, NL A2H 6P9 Canada

Loay Wady

Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada

Janusz Pawliszyn

Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada

An investigation of 16 classrooms in 4 randomly selected schools (children age 6—12) and 7 different places at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada and 4 locations at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, MUN, Corner Brook, NL, Canada were conducted to quantify emitted methyl benzoate concentrations. Methyl benzoate — as a metabolic biomarker of mold growth — has potential as an indicator for other volatile organic compound emissions outgassed by bacteria and molds. A variety of solid and indoor air grab samples were taken from the selected locations and were immediately analyzed by solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. By this rapid method, methyl benzoate concentrations in solid samples were found to range: 5—69 and 6—22 ppb for schoolrooms and university rooms, respectively. For air samples, methyl benzoate (quantitation limit 2 ppb) was not detected in the schools, however at the universities; concentrations were as high as 25 ppb. This study supports that methyl benzoate may have use, as an indicator of mold growth, in indoor air research.

Key Words: Mold • Indoor air • Schools • Methyl benzoate • SPME • GC/MS

Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 18, No. 3, 257-264 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X09105605


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