Semi-volatile organic compounds in a museum in China: A non-targeted screening approach

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) was conducted to identify semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in a museum in China using the gas chromatography (GC)-Orbitrap-mass spectrometer (MS). Approximately 160 SVOCs were detected, of which 93 had not been reported in previous studies of museum environments. Many of the detected SVOCs were found to be associated with the chemical agents applied in conservation treatment and the materials used in furnishings. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated a spatial variation of SVOCs in the indoor air in the museum, but there were no obvious temporal differences of SVOCs observed in indoor dust. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that several classes of SVOCs were well correlated, suggesting their common sources. Fragrances and plasticizers were found to be the primary sources of SVOC pollution detected in the museum. Compared with compounds in outdoor air, indoor SVOCs had a lower level of unsaturation and more portions of chemically reduced compounds. This study is the first of its kind to comprehensively characterize SVOCs in a museum using an automated NTA approach with GC-Orbitrap-MS. The SVOCs identified in the current study are likely to be present in other similar museums; therefore, further examination of their potential impacts on cultural heritage artifacts, museum personnel, and visitors may be warranted.