A study by Dr. Jiwon Lee and her research team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) measured in-car-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in real-time and identified the impact of solar exposure and cabin heating on vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ). Interior of cars are small, and people spend a lot of time during transportation. Inside a car is made of various materials such as plastic, glass, glass sealant, and rubber. Although most studies focused on the topic of VIAQ before, most have investigated the exhaust related emissions inside the cabin. Moreover, these studies had limitations on their analytical methods, and especially in real-time measurement. 

 The study monitored over 200 VOCs in a new car using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer and investigated the impact of solar exposure, cabin heating, and fresh air intake. The concentration of total VOCs in the car was more than twice that of outdoor air, and the use of the heater and exposure to sunlight resulted in the highest emissions. In-car heating with circulation mode produced more than 50% of VOCs while fresh air mode and ventilation immediately reduced VOCs by more than 50%.

 Dr. Lee said that “To ensure clean air quality, it is important to ventilate frequently, particularly during winter when there is a significant temperature difference between outside and inside of the car. It is also important to consider the VIAQ when long-term driving is required by professional drivers, or when there are elderly and respiratory disease patients are present”.

(a) Increase in total volatile organic compounds generated inside the vehicle when the heater is operating (b) Decrease in total volatile organic compounds in the air intake mode.

Yesildagli, B., Lee, S., Lee, J*., 2023. Temporal variations of volatile organic compounds inside the cabin of a new electric vehicle under different operation modes during winter using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry, J Hazard Mater. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131368.

*Contact: jiwonlee@kist.re.kr