UC Berkeley

Volatile organic chemicals are produced from reactions of ozone with squalene in human skin oil. Both primary and secondary reaction products, i.e., 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (6-MHO) and 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), have been reported in indoor occupied spaces. However, the abundance of these products indoors is a function of many variables, including the amount of ozone and occupants present as well as indoor removal processes. In this study, we develop a time-dependent kinetic model describing the behavior of ozone/squalene reaction products indoors, including the reaction process and physical adsorption process of products on indoor surfaces. The key parameters in the model were obtained by fitting time-resolved concentrations of 6-MHO, 4-OPA, and ozone in a university classroom on 1 day with multiple class sessions. The model predictions were subsequently tested against observations from four additional measurement days in the same classroom. Model predictions and experimental data agreed well (R² = 0.87-0.92) for all test days, including ∼7 class sessions covering a range of occupants (10-70) and ozone concentrations (0.09-32 ppb), demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. Accounting for surface uptake of 6-MHO and 4-OPA significantly improved model predictions (R² = 0.52-0.76 without surface uptake), reflecting the importance of including surface interactions to quantitatively represent product behavior in indoor environments.