The chemical interactions that proceed indoors have not been as well studied as those that occur in outdoor environments. Rather, indoors, focus has primarily been given to emissions from building materials and effects of ventilation. However, it is known that oxidative and partitioning processes occur on most indoor surfaces that affect the chemical exposure that we all experience. Indeed, the concentrations of many chemical species are higher indoors than outdoors. This talk will present examples of indoor oxidative processes that arise via ozone, which is introduced by intake of outdoor air, and via cleaning agents, such as chlorine bleach. Highly reactive surfaces indoors include human skin oils and cooking emissions, and particular attention will be given to the ozonolysis products formed from Criegee intermediates. The nature of non-reactive partitioning in indoor species will also be examined. In particular, new field measurements indicate that molecules that are normally viewed as being highly reactive, such as nitrous acid, are sorbed to indoor surfaces in significant amounts.








Jonathan Abbatt (University of Toronto)