People spend more than 90 percent of our time indoors, either at work or in our homes. At the same time, we are not aware that we are constantly exposed to volatile organic compounds, which are emitted from various materials of everyday use and can be harmful to our health. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include compounds of both anthropogenic and natural origin. However, those created by man cause more concern as they are present indoors where their concentrations are higher and more dangerous. The main sources of volatile organic compounds indoors are building materials, wood furniture and polymer-based materials. One of the latter is also cellulose acetate, which in the past was intensively used for the production of cinematographic films and various works of art, and thus today represents an important part of Europe's heritage. However, such products pose a problem as they are sensitive and unstable and, when degraded, emit acetic acid, which can be harmful to human health and cause damage to various objects. Important historical objects thus lose color, twist and bend over time, and films become useless. To prevent the destruction of heritage, various methods for assessing decomposition have been developed, and the question of what the best storage conditions are is the subject of considerable research. For example, many indoor materials can adsorb volatile organic compounds, leading to a reduction in their concentrations. However, after adsorption, such materials can also act as a source of emission, thereby further extending the retention time of these compounds indoors. Due to the dangers that VOCs pose to human health, some techniques for sampling and determination of these compounds have been developed, as well as, of course, many strategies to reduce concentrations.
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