Exposure to elevated levels of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in households has been linked to deleterious health effects. This study presents the first large‐scale investigation of VOC levels in 169 energy‐efficient dwellings in Switzerland. Through a combination of physical measurements and questionnaire surveys, we investigated the influence of diverse building characteristics on indoor VOCs. Among 74 detected compounds, carbonyls, alkanes, and alkenes were the most abundant. Median concentration levels of formaldehyde (14 μg/m³), TVOC (212 μg/m³), benzene (<0.1 μg/m³), and toluene (22 μg/m³) were below the upper exposure limits. Nonetheless, 90% and 50% of dwellings exceeded the chronic exposure limits for formaldehyde (9 μg/m³) and TVOC (200 μg/m³), respectively. There was a strong positive correlation among VOCs that likely originated from common sources. Dwellings built between 1950s and 1990s, and especially, those with attached garages had higher TVOC concentrations. Interior thermal retrofit of dwellings and absence of mechanical ventilation system were associated with elevated levels of formaldehyde, aromatics, and alkanes. Overall, energy‐renovated homes had higher levels of certain VOCs compared with newly built homes. The results suggest that energy efficiency measures in dwellings should be accompanied by actions to mitigate VOC exposures as to avoid adverse health outcomes.

中文翻译：

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瑞士169栋节能住宅中的挥发性有机化合物。

家庭中某些挥发性有机化合物（VOC）含量升高与健康危害有关。这项研究是对瑞士169所节能住宅中VOC含量的首次大规模调查。通过物理测量和问卷调查相结合，我们调查了各种建筑特征对室内VOC的影响。在74种检测到的化合物中，羰基，烷烃和烯烃含量最高。甲醛的中位数浓度水平（14微克/米³），TVOC（212微克/米³），苯（<0.1微克/米³）和甲苯（22微克/米³）低于暴露上限。尽管如此，90％和住宅的50％超过了甲醛的慢性暴露极限（9微克/米³）和TVOC（200微克/米³）， 分别。在挥发性有机化合物之间存在很强的正相关性，这可能源于共同的来源。在1950年代至1990年代之间建造的住宅，尤其是带有车库的住宅，其TVOC浓度较高。住宅内部的热改造和缺乏机械通风系统均与甲醛，芳烃和烷烃水平升高有关。总体而言，与新建房屋相比，能源翻新房屋的某些VOC含量更高。结果表明，住宅中的节能措施应伴随有减少VOC暴露的措施，以免对健康造成不利影响。