The Influence of Temperature on the Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds from PVC flooring,Carpet, and Paint

Abstract The influence of temperature on the emission rate of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from four indoor materials was investigated in a small dynamic test chamber. The materials investigated were two carpets, a PVC flooring and a paint; the temperature range investigated was 23–50°C. The general trend was an increased initial emission rate and an increased decay rate with increasing temperature. The total emitted mass from paint is independent of temperature which means that bake-out is expected to be successful. The total emitted mass of the carpets and the PVC flooring increased with temperature, which suggests an influence of chemical reactions. In these cases, bake-out periods of a few days may be unsuccessful and the exposure of the population may be underestimated when using data from experiments performed at the (lower) standard temperature.