VOC

Summarises the results of product analyses and a series of small chamber emissions tests on alkyd paint. Also describes the use of a mass balance approach to evaluate the impact of test variables and to assess the quality of the emissions data.

Outlines a 'healthy house' design for suburban Australia. The design incorporated a tight building envelope and a ducted mechanical ventilation (and heat recovery) system, providing a minimum ventilation rate of 0.35 air changes per hour. Partial filtration and dehumidification of the air was also included. Low-VOC building materials were chosen. Total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations were approximately 4,000 microgrammes per m3 just after construction, decreasing by a double-exponential model to 300 microgrammes per m3 by eight months, which is good.

Considered a wide range of indoor and outdoor urban microenvironments in a study of the concentrations of 15 volatile organic compounds. For most VOCs, mean concentrations in cars exceeded those at heavily trafficked roadside locations. No correlation was found between indoors and outdoors, though concentrations were higher indoors. As a consequence, in poorly ventilated buildings, indoor emission source strength is considered a more significant influence on concentrations of VOCs in indoor air than outdoor air concentrations.

The provision of underground parking facilities (UPFs) has become a necessity particularly in densely populated urban areas and business districts. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in such facilities is of great concern due to vehicle induced emissions. This paper presents and IAQ assessment at six representative UPFs in Beirut using carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds as IAQ indicators. For this purpose, concentrations of both pollutants were measured at different time intervals throughout the day. Vehicular emission factors (EFs) were estimated using the EMFAC7F1.1 model.

States that car park ventilation systems not only have to control the exhaust gases emitted by vehicles but take into account possible fuel spillages and the venting of smoke in the event of a fire. Explores ways of checking for compliance.

The emission factors from solvent based paint on stainless steel plates have been studied in three different climate controlled rooms. After equilibrium conditions had been achieved in these rooms, the results were practically the same. The study shows that the effects of sorption, changes in ventilation and air velocity do not affect the results, and it is thus possible to develop a calculation model which can incorporate emission factors.

VOC emissions from building materials are assumed to cause irritation of eye and the upper airways (sensory irritation, SI) in the indoor environment. Four finishing products, two PVC floorings and paints, were selected to this study: PVC(+) and Paint(+) were accepted whereas PVC(-) and Paint(-) were not acceptable in the human sensory evaluation. SI potency of VOC mixtures representing the material emissions were tested by the mouse bioassay (ASTM E981-84 ). Both the paint mixtures were much poorer irritants than PVC(-), but stronger than PVC(+).

This case study conducted in a new air-conditioned building in Singapore was aimed at identifying, and assessing indoor levels of VOCs using a GC-MS method. The study identified 80 different compounds with Toluene appearing in all locations. Most VOCs detected were from building materials, adhesives, varnishes, sealing compounds, polyester carpets reflecting the age of the building and vehicular emissions reflecting the poor positioning of the air intake.

Numerous scientific studies show that indoors are the source of potentially harmful substances called indoor air pollutants. They come from various sources. Indoor levels are often much higher than outdoor level and most people spend the bulk of their time indoors. As indoor air pollution is relatively new problem, health and comfort problems are associated with it. The starting point for studies on constituents of the indoor environment is to realize that the problem to be solved is complex.

Measurements of VOC, formaldehyde, temperature, relative humidity, ventilation and inspections of humidity related problems were made in 178 randomly selected Swedish dwellings. More than one hundred single VOCs was identified with a mean concentration less than 25 μg/m3. The concentration of 80% of the identified VO Cs were less than 10 μg/m3. One-family houses had a higher concentration of VOCs than multi family houses.