Influence of VOC and formaldehyde emission from tile adhesives on their indoor concentrations in buildings

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde emitted from building materials are considered to be one of the main causes of indoor air pollution in buildings. To reduce indoor pollutant concentrations, new installation methods for wall papers and flooring materials have been widely introduced to the construction field, including a nonadhesive floating method. However, adhesives are still widely used to install wall tiles or floor tiles on areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and showers. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of tile adhesive emissions on indoor air quality. The VOC and formaldehyde emission rates from two different types of tile adhesives, a conventional adhesive and a low-VOC emission adhesive, were measured using small emission test chambers. Full scale experiments were also carried out in three identical test rooms in a building. One wall of each room was finished with wallpaper in Test Room 1 and with tiles in Test Rooms 2 and 3. The other walls and ceilings were finished with wall papers in all test rooms. Wall tiles of Test Room 2 were installed with the conventional adhesive, while those of Test Room 3 were installed with the low-VOC emission adhesive. The indoor VOC concentrations in Test Room 2 were significantly higher than those in Test Room 3 due to a significantly higher VOC emission from the conventional tile adhesive. Even though the adhesives were applied under the finishing materials, investigation revealed that the adhesives were the most dominant contributor of indoor VOC concentration.