Occupational exposure and indoor air quality monitoring in a composting facility.

The objective of this study was to investigate indoor air quality in a completely covered enclosure used for the aerobic composting of organic wastes originating from vegetable, fruit, and garden refuse. Samples of gases and vapors were taken in the ventilation exhaust ducts. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were collected on Tenax absorbent; after thermal desorption they were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.