[Comparison of methods for quantification of MVOC in indoor environments]

For several years now, MVOC have been regarded as indicators for microbial growth in indoor environments. Until now, a direct correlation between the occurrence of microfungi and MVOC could not be shown in scientific investigations. One reason may be that different analytical methods were applied, and moreover they were not validated sufficiently. The present investigation aimed to test the comparability of both methods (Tenax adsorption/thermal desorption; charcoal adsorption/elution). It turned out that with both methods comparable results can be achieved if the technical handling of the calibration is standardized to a wide extent. Thus, highest demands have to be made on quality assurance. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate technical regulations for the quantification of MVOC.