Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Dispersion and Cementitious Waterproofing Products

Comparison of sampling methods for the determination of volatile organic compounds in consumer aerosol sprays

Many studies have evaluated the hazardous substances contained in various household chemical products. However, for aerosol spray products there is currently no international standard sampling method for use in a component analysis. The aim of this study was to develop an appropriate sampling method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in consumer aerosol sprays. Two different sampling methods, spraying (into a vial) and perforating (and transferring the contents into a vial), were used to evaluate the levels of 16 VOC components in eight different aerosol spray products. All eight products contained trace amounts of hazardous VOCs, and a quantitative analysis showed that, for the same product, VOC concentrations were higher when spraying than when perforating. Using the spraying method, average toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, o-xylene, and styrene concentrations were 1.80-, 2.10- 2.25-, 2.03-fold, and 1.28-fold higher, respectively, than when using the perforating method. The spraying method may provide more realistic estimates of the user's exposure to harmful substances and the associated health risks when using spray products. Of the two representative methods widely used to analyze harmful substances in consumer aerosol sprays, the spraying method is recommended over the perforating method for the analysis of VOCs.

Identification of Olfactory Nuisance of Floor Products Containing Bitumens with the TD-GC-MS/O Method

The adopted TD–GC–MS/O method helps determine the correlation between the odour signals and compounds separated on the chromatographic column, from the analysed gas mixture. It is possible to compare the retention times at which the odour signals were identified with the retention time of eluting compounds, when the test system and matrix are known. The presented study describes the details of representative samples obtained from (1) indoor air samples from a room where floor materials containing bitumen are present, (2) wooden floor staves placed in an emission chamber, and (3) fragments (chips) of the materials mentioned above, placed in glass tubes, exposed to an elevated desorption temperature. The results, presented in the paper, describe the identified odours and their intensity and assign chemical compounds to each odour, indicating their likely source of origin. The results presented in the manuscript are intended to show what methodology can be adopted to obtain intense odours from the tested samples, without losing the sensitivity derived from GC–MS. The manuscript presents representative results—case studies. The results for various types of samples were not very reproducible, related to the complex matrix of bituminous products. The enormity of compounds present in tar adhesives makes it possible to indicate only the groups of compounds that emit from these systems. They include, primarily, aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic hydrocarbons, particularly Naphthalene and Phenol derivatives.

Primary and Secondary Emissions of VOCs and PAHs in Indoor Air from a Waterproof Coal-Tar Membrane: Diagnosis and Remediation

Primary and secondary emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a waterproof coal tar membrane and their effect on the indoor air quality were investigated through a case study in a residential building situated in Madrid, Spain. The air contaminants were analyzed in situ using photoionization method and several samples of contaminants were taken using three sorbents: activated carbon, XAD2 and Tenax GR. It was found that various VOCs such as toluene, p- and m-Xylene, PAHs such as naphthalene, methyl-naphthalenes, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, phenanthrene and fluorine, volatile organic halogens including chloroform and trichlorofluoromethane, and alkylbenzene (1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) were found at concentrations, which exceeded the limits established by international and national agencies (WHO, EPA, OSHA). Some of the above organic compounds were found also in the samples of construction and building materials, which were obtained at different heights and places. The analysis of possible sources of the contaminants pointed at the original coal-tar membrane, which was applied on the terrace to be waterproof. During a posterior reparation the membrane was coated with a new one that hindered dissipation of emitted contaminants. The contaminants leached out and were absorbed by construction materials down in the dwelling. These materials then acted as secondary emission sources. To remediate the emission problem as the contaminated materials were removed and then a ventilation system was installed to force the gasses being emitted from the rest of contaminated slab outside. Follow-up has validated the success of the remediation procedure.

Determination of certain VOCs in paints and architectural coatings by dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A quantitative method for the determination of the following VOCs: acetone, dichloromethane, dimethyl carbonate, methyl acetate, tertiary butyl acetate, chlorobenzotrifluoride (4-CBTF) and propylene carbonate in paints was developed in support of Environment and Climate Change Canada's Automotive Refinishing Product and Architectural Coatings VOC Concentration Limits regulations. These compounds are excluded from the VOC definition by Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) regulations, and their content do not contribute to the overall VOC content in products for regulatory purposes. The method is based on Dynamic Headspace GC-MS. It was determined that activated carbon is the best trapping medium for these compounds. The technique has been compared to a currently used direct injection technique, with comparable results. Contrary to the direct injection method which requires complex sample handling prior to injection in the gas chromatograph, the dynamic headspace method practically eliminates the need for sample handling allowing for much shorter sample turnover and reducing the possibility of sampling handling errors.

The Ability to Control VOC Emissions from Multilayer Building Materials

The work aimed to investigate which parameters of the electrically powered radiant floor heating system are connected with the intensity of VOC total emissions and emissions from individual layers, which can be effectively changed and controlled to obtain energy savings in the ventilation process. For this purpose, experimental studies of VOC emissions from specially designed LRFHS samples (Laboratory Radiant Floor Heating System) were carried out, along with simulations of real thermal conditions of samples of layered systems containing separate heaters and various materials layers. The TD-GC-MS chromatography was used to assess the trends of VOCs concentration changes in 480 h in a test chamber (simulating real conditions) for several LRFHS systems of multilayer construction products with built-in individual heating systems, in two stabilised temperatures, 23 °C and 33 °C, two stabilised relative humidities, 50% and 80% and three air exchanges per hour ACH on levels 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5. The obtained results indicate that the models used to determine emissions from single-layer products correspond to the description of emissions from multilayer systems only to a limited extent; some inner layers of floor systems are giving diffusion resistance or intensification of diffusion. A new emission model is proposed. The time-emission concentration curves for dry and wet environments differ significantly; reducing the VOC concentration in the air for the number of exchanges above 1.0 ACH is relatively inefficient. Authors also mapped out new research directions; for example, the experiment showed that not all of the VOC contaminants are ventilated just as easily and perhaps, considering their concentration of resistant impurities, chemical structure and diffusion resistance through the layers, there is a need to determine their weights.

Comparison of VOC Emissions Produced by Different Types of Adhesives Based on Test Chambers

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from building materials into the indoor air may cause discomfort associated with a perceptible chemical odour and may irritate the upper respiratory tract. Hence, it is vital to control indoor air pollution sources, such as interior finishing materials, including adhesives. The study involved carrying out a series of experimental tests of VOC emissions of 25 adhesives based on the ISO 16000 series standards. The research concerns three groups of construction adhesives with indoor applications, i.e., flooring (10), finishing walls and ceilings (6), and for other applications such as edge-gluing or gluing tiles or mirrors (9) differing in chemical composition. A series of temperature tests were carried out for a representative floor adhesive at selected temperatures: 25 °C, 35 °C and 45 °C. The theoretical correlation approach was adopted to characterise the relationship between the emission rate and temperature of selected chemical compounds.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from a Personal Care Polymer-Based Item: Simulation of the Inhalation Exposure Scenario Indoors under Actual Conditions of Use

Polymer-based items may release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odors indoors, contributing to the overall VOC inhalation exposure for end users and building occupants. The main objective of the present study is the evaluation of short-term inhalation exposure to VOCs due to the use of a personal care polymer-based item, namely, one of three electric heating bags, through a strategic methodological approach and the simulation of a ‘near-to-real’ exposure scenario. Seventy two-hour test chamber experiments were first performed to characterize VOC emissions with the items on ‘not-heating mode’ and to derive related emission rates. The polyester bag was revealed to be responsible for the highest emissions both in terms of total VOC and naphthalene emissions (437 and 360 µg/m3, respectively), compared with the other two bags under investigation. Complementary investigations on ‘heating mode’ and the simulation of the exposure scenario inside a 30 m3 reference room allowed us to highlight that the use of the polyester bag in the first life-cycle period could determine a naphthalene concentration (42 µg/m3) higher than the reference Lowest Concentration of Interest (LCI) value (10 µg/m3) reported in European evaluation schemes. The present study proposes a strategic methodological approach highlighting the need for the simulation of a realistic scenario when potential hazards for human health need to be assessed.

Identification of MVOCs Produced by Coniophora puteana and Poria placenta Growing on WPC Boards by Using Subtraction Mass Spectra

Volatile fungal metabolites are responsible for various odors and may contribute to a “sick building syndrome” (SBS) with a negative effect on the heath of building. The authors have attempted to fill the research gaps by analyzing microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) originating from representatives of the Basidiomycetes class that grow on wood-polymer composite (WPC) boards. WPCs have been analyzed as a material exposed to biodeterioration. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is affected by the increased use of WPCs inside buildings, and is becoming a highly relevant research issue. The emission profiles of MVOCs at various stages of WPC decay have been demonstrated in detail for Coniophora puteana and Poria placenta, and used to set the European industrial standards for wood-decay fungi. Differences in the production of MVOCs among these species of fungi have been detected using the thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) method. This study identifies the production of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and other compounds during one month of fungal growth. The identified level of metabolites indicates a relation between the level of air pollution and condition of the WPC material, which may become part of IAQ quantification in the future. The study points to the species-specific compounds for representatives of brown and white-rot fungi and the compounds responsible for their odor. In this study, 1-Octen-3-ol was indicated as a marker for their active growth, which is also associated with SBS. The proposed experimental set-up and data analysis are a simple and convenient way to obtain emission profiles of MVOCs from microbes growing on different materials.

The Approach of Including TVOCs Concentration in the Indoor Environmental Quality Model (IEQ)—Case Studies of BREEAM Certified Office Buildings

The article analyzes the impact of measured concentrations of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) emissions determined for four BREEAM certified buildings on the Indoor Air Quality Index (IAQindex) and the overall Indoor Environment Quality index (IEQindex). The IEQindex indicates the percentage of building users who are satisfied from the indoor environment. In existing IEQ models, currently the concentration of CO2 is mostly used to evaluate the IAQindex sub-component. Authors point out that it is recommended to use TVOC instead CO2 at pre-occupant stage where building is mainly polluted by emission from finishing products. The research provides the approach where the component related to the emission of TVOCs is implemented to IEQ model. The first stage of assessment was a test of the volatile organic compounds concentrations in case study buildings. Secondly, the analysis results were assigned into the number of dissatisfied users (PD(IAQ)) from the theoretical function given by Jokl-Fanger resulting from the Weber-Fechner equation. Finally, the overall IEQindex was calculated. The IEQ approach proposed in this paper is mainly based on a consideration of EN 15251 and scientifically accepted models.