Microbial Transformation of Indoor VOCs and Its Implications for Human Exposure and Environmental Health
Keywords:
indoor air quality, volatile organic compounds, built environment microbiome, microbial transformation, human exposure, environmental health, building governanceAbstract
Indoor air quality is shaped by a complex interplay among chemical emissions, building materials, ventilation, occupant activity, and the resident microbiome. Volatile organic compounds emitted from construction materials, finishes, furnishings, and cleaning products represent a persistent exposure burden in modern buildings. While previous research has emphasized source control, ventilation, and abiotic chemistry, the role of indoor microbial communities in transforming these compounds remains comparatively underexamined. This paper develops a systems-oriented analysis of microbial VOC transformation in indoor environments and evaluates its implications for human exposure and environmental health. The analysis integrates perspectives from indoor chemistry, microbial ecology, building science, public health, and environmental governance. It argues that microbial transformation should not be understood as a uniform removal mechanism but rather as a distributed biological infrastructure with highly variable efficiency, metabolic selectivity, and byproduct formation. The built environment functions as a coupled chemical and microbial system in which architectural design, moisture management, material selection, and ventilation interact to shape transformation pathways. Structural trade-offs arise between dilution, filtration, source control, and biologically mediated processing. These trade-offs have direct consequences for exposure equity, building-related health outcomes, antimicrobial resistance, and long-term sustainability. Governance frameworks remain fragmented and rarely incorporate microbial transformation into indoor air quality policy. The paper concludes by outlining principles for a more integrated governance model that treats indoor air as a socio-technical and ecological system, emphasizing robustness, fairness, and adaptive management.
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