Material emissions in new buildings

A 3-year research project was established in 1999 to create numerical reference data formaterial emissions during the time of construction and during the first year after the buildinghas been taken into use. A total of nine measurement sites, representing the presentconstruction practice in Finland, were chosen for investigation. Material emissionmeasurements for surfaces, using the field and laboratory cell (FLEC) technique, wereperformed in the newly finished and 6- and 12-month-old buildings according to a specifiedschedule.

Determining coefficients for mass-transfer models for volatile organic compound emissions from architectural coatings

This research is to develop a mass-transfer model for describing the emission of volatileorganic compounds (VOCs) from architectural coatings, which accounts for both surfaceevaporation and internal diffusion during the drying period. To apply this model, it isnecessary to know the evaporation and diffusion coefficients of VOC emitted from thecoating materials. An experimental method was, therefore, developed to determine boththe evaporation and diffusion coefficients for six aliphatic hydrocarbons and six aromatichydrocarbons from oil-based paint.

A new model for analyzing the influence of initial concentration in building materials on VOC emission characteristics

A new generally applicable model for calculating the surface emissions of VOCs (volatileorganic compounds) from the building materials and the VOC instantaneous distributions inthe materials is developed. Different from the mass transfer based models in the literature, thenew model does not neglect the mass transfer resistance through the air phase boundary layerand does not assume that the initial VOC concentration distribution C0 in building materials isuniform. And this paper provides an exact analytical solution for this model.

Aldehydes and VOCs in newly-built unoccupied houses in Tokyo

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan have published the guideline values for14 chemical compounds including formaldehyde, toluene, xylenes etc., in order to solve theSick house syndrome problem. In this study, field measurements on indoor air quality wereconducted in newly-built houses which had not been occupied.The concentrations of aldehydes and VOCs, the ventilation rate, the emission rate offormaldehyde from each surface material, temperature and humidity were measured in threehouses in summer and in two houses in winter.

Measurements of indoor concentrations of aldehydes, VOCs and fungi in newly built apartment houses in Tokyo

The purpose of this study is to identify the causality explaining indoor concentrations offormaldehyde, VOCs and fungi which have significant health effects. In the rainy season(July), summer (August), autumn (October) and winter (December), measurements werecarried out in three newly built apartment complexes. In each complex the same buildingmaterials were used.

VOC exposures in a mixed-use university art building

This article studied the exposure to 45 defined volatil organic compounds in an university art school, ventilated with a 100% exhaust mechanical ventilation system. Several students wore passive dosimeters.Floors where no emission of VOCs occurred had no detectable exposures : the conclusions show that a non-recirculating ventilation system can eliminate indoor air quality issues between floors.

Seasonal cycle of VOCs in apartments

This paper intends to resolve the spatial and temporal variation of VOC concentrations in apartments. Numerous indoor and outdoor measurements taken in the period between 1994 and 2001 have been analyzed.A method is presented, it can be used to normalize the results from VOC measurements taken at any time of the year. A table with adjustments factors is given.

Indoor air quality in the university libraries of Modena (Italy)

A survey was carried out in 16 libraries in Modena University (Northern Italy) to assess the indoor exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds. VOCs were present in all the investigated libraries.The conclusion of that study is that no major problems were related to indoor pollution but the identification of the possible sources of contaminants is important, just as a definition of the relationship between indoor and outdoor levels of pollutants : that will take into account the effects of air recycling due to natural ventilation systems.

A new mass transfer based model of VOV emissions from building materials

A new generally applicable model for calculating the surface emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from building materials and the VOC instantaneous distributions in the materials is developed. Different from the mass transferbased models in the literature, it doesnt neglect the mass transfer resistance through the air phase boundary layer. Results obtained by using the presented model are validated with experiments from the literature. By normalizing the model, the

The effects of ventilation operations in determining contributions of VOCs sources in air-conditioned tropical buildings

In that study, Volatile Organic Compounds levels found in two tropical office buildings are analysed. The concentrations have been measured under different conditions of ventilation (normal occupancy with ventilating system working, and with the ventilation system shut down).

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