Residential indoor air contamination by screen printing plants

The presence of organic solvents was investigated by means of environmental monitoring of the indoor air during one workweek in each of ten selected small screen printing plants and the houses surrounding them in the inner city of Amsterdam. In the indoor air of the screen printing plants, 14 to 17 organic solvents were identified. The concentrations of the identified organic solvents varied widely from sampling location and period. In the indoor air of the houses situated above the plants, zero to fifteen organic solvents were identified. The concentration of organic solvents in the indoor air of the houses situated above was related to the type of construction materials. The highest concentrations were found in the houses situated above moderately maintained screen printing plants with wooden floors and ceilings (n = 5). The concentration of organic solvents in the indoor air of the houses situated above well maintained screen printing plants with wooden floors and ceilings (n = 3) was much smaller, while the plants situated in concrete new buildings (n = 2) were not a source of organic solvents. The calculated effect specific exposure index (EI), assuming an additive effect and based on the effect specific limit values (ESLVs) for two critical effects [irritation mucous membranes and (pre) narcotic effects] exceeded unity in one workroom in two of the screen printing plants. The calculated EIs for the residents of the houses on the first floor, based on the same ESLVs, but adjusted to potential continuous exposure and interindividual differences in susceptibility, did not exceed unity. However, episodes of irritation of mucous membranes and (pre) narcotic effects may occur.