Evaluation of three test methods in determination of formaldehyde emission from particleboard bonded with different mole ratio in the urea–formaldehyde resin

The use of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins with lower contents of free formaldehyde in the board industry has led to products with very low emissions of formaldehyde. In this study, a detailed account is given of how UF resins with different mole ratios of formaldehyde to urea within the range of 0.97–1.27 influence the formaldehyde emission. In order to evaluate simpler laboratory methods for determining the formaldehyde emission from particleboard, the desiccator (JIS A 5908, 2003) and the EN 120 (European Standard, 1991) have been compared with the 1 m³ chamber method SS 270236 (Swedish Standard of determining formaldehyde emission with chamber test, 1988). Good relationships were obtained between the methods studied with correlation coefficients of >0.9. The value of formaldehyde emission decreased linearly with the mole ratio of formaldehyde to urea down to 1.05 where the effect smoothed out. The effect on the formaldehyde emission of temperature and storage time for tested boards also was studied. The heat treatment lowered the perforator value with resins that had mole ratios equal to or higher than 1.15, at the two lowest mole ratios 0.97 and 1.01, there was a tendency for the heat treatment to increase the perforator value. After the boards were stored for 6 months at 23 °C and 50% RH, the perforator values were unchanged or negligibly changed with the lower mole ratios and there was a more pronounced change with a higher mole ratio of 1.27.     

Variations of formaldehyde and VOC levels during 3 years in new and older homes

Indoor air organic compounds were continuously monitored during 3 years in new and older homes which were voluntarily selected throughout countries. The levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the new homes decreased markedly after 1 year, and steady emissions of VOCs were obtained in the initial months. Formaldehyde and a-pinene related to wooden materials need a longer flushing period than the other compounds in the new homes. The levels of the indoor air organic compounds in the older homes showed no significant fluctuation during the 3-year period. Decreases of the indoor-produced compounds in the new homes did not depend upon the ventilation systems. The results indicate that the indoor-produced compounds in the new homes will be more influenced by the aging decreases of emission source strengths than ventilation systems. The quantitative information on the trend of the indoor air organic compound levels will be useful for the risk assessment of indoor exposure to those compounds, and also for Japanese IAQ guidelines. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The initial levels of VOCs in the new homes decreased dramatically and were close to the mean values for the older homes after one year. The results suggest that steady emissions of VOCs are obtained within initial months. However, formaldehyde and a-pinene did not follow the trend for VOCs, particularly in the wooden framed houses. The results tend to suggest that formaldehyde and a-pinene related to wooden materials will need more long a flushing period than other compounds in the new homes. Decreasing tendency of indoor air organic compound levels in the new homes did not appear to show any dependency upon the ventilation systems over the whole period. Absence of data for ventilation rates in the houses dose not permit interpretation of the relation between ventilation rates and indoor air organic compound levels with statistical certainty, but the results suggest that indoor air organic compound levels in the homes will be more influenced by emission source strengths than ventilation systems. The levels of indoor air organic compounds in the new homes are sufficiently decreased according to the ageing decreases of organic compounds when the home is ventilated with adequate quantities.     

Estimation of odour intensity of indoor air pollutants from building materials with a multi-gas sensor system

This study shows an approach to estimate odour intensity in an indoor environment with a multi-gas sensor system. The sensor system uses 38 non-specific gas sensors, each of which responds to a wide range of different volatile compounds. Due to the complexity of indoor air pollution, the study focuses on emissions of building products as one of the major contributors to indoor air quality. The system has been calibrated and tested, combining measurements from gas sensor systems and assessments of odour intensity by a human panel. To find a relation between the sensor signal and the odour intensity, a data processing model has been developed comprising a classification and a class-specific regression method. The model is able to map the odour intensity to the sensor signal pattern in order to predict the odour intensity caused by the investigated building products. Investigations with varying relative humidity have shown a significant influence by the humidity level, which will be considered for future measurements.     

Impact of temperature on the initial emittable concentration of formaldehyde in building materials: experimental observation

The initial emittable concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) is a key parameter not only in evaluating the 'green' degree of building materials but also in modeling their emission characteristics. Although the impact of temperature on initial emittable concentration is important, it has not been reported in the literature. Using the multi-emission/flush regression method we developed, the impact of temperature on the initial emittable concentration of formaldehyde in medium density board has been experimentally studied. It is observed that the initial emittable concentration increases significantly with increasing temperature. When the temperature rises by 25.4°C, it increases by about 507%. However, the initial emittable concentration at room temperature is far less than the value measured by the perforator method recommended by the Chinese National Standard GB/T 17657-1999, which measures the total concentration of formaldehyde in medium density board. This means most of formaldehyde in the building material cannot emit out at room temperature. The results will be very helpful in estimating the emission characteristics of building materials at different temperatures as well as for developing green building materials. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Knowledge of initial emittable concentration is important for VOC emission prediction. According to our experimental study, the initial emittable concentration is heavily dependent on temperature, and this factor should be considered in dealing with heating or cooling process of building materials. The significant difference between the initial emittable concentration and total concentration suggests that the total concentration seems not appropriate for judging the pollution level of building materials.     

Multi-target identification for emission parameters of building materials by unsteady concentration measurement in airtight micro-cell-type chamber

The purpose of this study is to develop a concurrent determination method that can estimate multiple emission parameters, that is, the emission rate, initial concentration and effective diffusion coefficient Dc in building materials, by a single unsteady concentration measurement. This study focused on the time history of VOC concentration in the gas phase that occurred when the target building material was covered with an airtight micro-cell. The VOC concentration in the micro-cell gradually increased and finally reached an equilibrium concentration. Under the condition of uniform distribution of initial concentration, the profile of VOC concentration in the micro-cell was determined by the order of the Dc value. A chart of the time history of VOC concentration as a function of Dc and thickness of building materials was prepared in advance by numerical analysis and then Dc was estimated by overlapping the measurement result with this chart. A chart of emission rate as a function of Dc and building material thickness was also prepared and the determination procedure of the emission rate taking into account the consistency between the 20 L small chamber method with in- and out-flow and the micro-cell method under an airtight condition was proposed. The estimation results of Dc and emission rate by this method were reasonably consistent with the results of the conventional method.     

Real‐world volatile organic compound emission rates from seated adults and children for use in indoor air studies

Human beings emit many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of both endogenous (internally produced) and exogenous (external source) origin. Here we present real‐world emission rates of volatile organic compounds from cinema audiences (50‐230 people) as a function of time in multiple screenings of three films. The cinema location and film selection allowed high‐frequency measurement of human‐emitted VOCs within a room flushed at a known rate so that emissions rates could be calculated for both adults and children. Gas‐phase emission rates are analyzed as a function of time of day, variability during the film, and age of viewer. The average emission rates of CO₂, acetone, and isoprene were lower (by a factor of ~1.2‐1.4) for children under twelve compared to adults while for acetaldehyde emission rates were equivalent. Molecules influenced by exogenous sources such as decamethylcyclopentasiloxanes and methanol tended to decrease over the course of day and then rise for late evening screenings. These results represent average emission rates of people under real‐world conditions and can be used in indoor air quality assessments and building design. Averaging over a large number of people generates emission rates that are less susceptible to individual behaviors.     

A Study of Human Reactions to Emissions from Building Materials in Climate Chambers. Part II: VOC Measurements,Mouse Bioassay,and Decipol Evaluation in the 1–2 mg/m3 TVOC Range

Monitoring of human reactions to the emission of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from four commonly used building materials was carried out. The building materials were: a painted gypsum board, a rubber floor, a nylon carpet, and a particle board with an acid-curing paint. The exposures were performed in climate chambers. The air quality was quantified on the decipol scale by a trained panel, measurements of formaldehyde and VOC being performed simultaneously. The irritating potency of the materials was measured by a mouse bioassay. The VOC measurements showed several malodorants and irritants. Some abundant VOC identified in the head-space analyses were absent in the climate chamber air. The rubber floor and the nylon carpet exhibited a marked increase in decipols compatible with a number of odorous VOC identified in the air. A high formaldehyde concentration (minimum 743μg/m³) was measured for the particle board coated with an acid-curing paint. This was not reflected by a corresponding relatively high decipol value but a long-lasting irritating potency was observed in the mouse bioassay. TVOC sampled on Tenax and expressed in mass per volume as well as in molar concentration, and decipol evaluation both have limitations and should be used with caution as indicators of (perceived) indoor air quality. Eye irritation expressed by means of the eye index reflecting the tear film quality index (comprised of break-up time, foam formation, thickness of the precorneal lipid layer of the tear film, and epithelial damage) was found to be insensitive to formaldehyde and a VOC mixture but sensitive to TVOC concentrations of 1–2 mg/m³. Lipophilic VOC may be the cause of reduced tear film quality by destabilization of the lipid multilayer of the tear film.