TY - JOUR A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Juritsch, Elevtheria A1 - Klinge, A. A1 - Radeljic, L. A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Natural building materials for interior fitting and refurbishment - What about indoor emissions? JF - Materials N2 - Indoor air quality can be adversely affected by emissions from building materials, consequently having a negative impact on human health and well-being. In this study, more than 30 natural building materials (earth dry boards and plasters, bio-based insulation materials, and boards made of wood, flax, reed, straw, etc.) used for interior works were investigated as to their emissions of (semi-) volatile organic compounds ((S)VOC), formaldehyde, and radon. The study focused on the emissions from complete wall build-ups as they can be used for internal Partition walls and the internal insulation of external walls. Test chambers were designed, allowing the compounds to release only from the surface of the material facing indoors under testing Parameters that were chosen to simulate model room conditions. The emission test results were evaluated using the AgBB evaluation scheme, a procedure for the health-related evaluation of construction products and currently applied for the approval of specific groups of building materials in Germany. Seventeen out of 19 sample build-ups tested in this study would have passed this scheme since they generally proved to be low-emitting and although the combined emissions of multiple materials were tested, 50% of the measurements could be terminated before half of the total testing time. KW - Bio-based insulation KW - Earthen building materials KW - Volatile organic compounds KW - Semivolatile organic compounds KW - Radon PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-519634 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010234 VL - 14 IS - 1 (Special issue: Measurement of the environmental impact of materials) SP - 234-1 EP - 234-14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-51963 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wilke, Olaf A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Volatile organic compounds from building products - Results from six round robin tests with emission test chambers conducted between 2008 and 2018 JF - Indoor Air N2 - Emission testing of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from materials and products is commonly based on emission test chamber measurements. To ensure the comparability of results from different testing laboratories, their measurement performance must be verified. For this purpose, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) organizes an international proficiency test (round robin test, RRT) every two years using well-characterized test materials (one sealant, one furniture board, and four times a lacquer) with defined VOC emissions. The materials fulfilled the requirements of homogeneity, reproducibility, and stability. Altogether, 36 VOCs were included of which 33 gave test chamber air concentrations between 13 and 83 µg/m3. This is the typical concentration range to be expected and to be quantified when performing chamber tests. Three compounds had higher concentrations between 326 and 1105 µg/m3. In this paper, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of BAM round robin tests since 2008 are compared and the improvement of the comparability of the emission chamber testing is shown by the decrease of the mean RSD down to 28 % in 2018. In contrast, the first large European interlaboratory comparison in 1999 showed a mean RSD of 51 %. KW - Construction product KW - Emission test chamber KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Proficiency testing KW - Rround robin test KW - VOC emission PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-526139 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12848 VL - 31 IS - 6 SP - 2049 EP - 2057 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-52613 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hofmann, Michael A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Robustness validation of a test procedure for the determination of the radon-222 exhalation rate from construction products in VOC emission test chambers JF - Applied radiation and isotopes N2 - This study investigated the adaptation of the state-of-the-art test procedure for the determination of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from materials into indoor air to test for the radon exhalation from stony construction products. A complete robustness validation including all relevant parameters showed that the procedure can be well applied by testing institutes already holding available the required VOC testing infrastructure that solely needs to be complemented by calibrated commercial radon measurement instrumentation. When measurements of the radon exhalation from construction materials become mandatory by law, test capacity can easily be applied. This work can serve as a recommendation for the European standardisation that still is on hold in this point. KW - Radon exhalation KW - Construction products KW - Emission test chamber KW - Robustness validation KW - Standardisation PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109372 SN - 0969-8043 VL - 166 IS - 109372 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-51145 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Juritsch, Elevtheria A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Determination of recovery rates of adsorbents for sampling very volatile organic compounds (C1-C6) in dry and humid air in the sub-ppb range by use of thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry JF - Journal of Chromatography A N2 - The reliable measurement of very volatile organic compounds (VVOC) in indoor air by use of thermal desorption gas chromatography (TD-GC) in order to include them into evaluation schemes for building products even nowadays is a great challenge. For capturing these small molecules with carbon numbers ranging from C 1 –C 6 , strong adsorbents are needed. In the present study, recovery rates of nine suitable adsorbents of the groups of porous polymers, graphitised carbon blacks (GCB) and carbon molecular sieves (CMS) are tested against a complex test gas standard containing 29 VVOC. By consideration of the recovery and the relative humidity (50% RH), combinations of the GCB Carbograph 5TD, the two CMS Carboxen 1003 and Carbosieve SII as well as the porous polymer Tenax® GR were identified to be potentially suitable for sampling the majority of the VVOC out of the gas mix. The results reveal a better performance of the adsorbents in combination than being used alone, particularly under humid sampling conditions. The recovery rates of the chosen compounds on each adsorbent should be in the range of 80–120%. KW - VVOC KW - Indoor Air: Adsorbent performance KW - Recovery rate KW - Thermal desorption KW - Gas chromatography PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461389 VL - 1626 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-51106 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hofmann, Michael A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Use of commercial radon monitors for low level radon measurements in dynamically operated VOC emission test chambers JF - Radiation Protection Dosimetry N2 - Compared to the intended EU reference level of 300 Bq m−3 for indoor radon concentrations, the contribution of building materials appears to be low. Considering the recommended limit of 100 Bq m−3 by WHO, their contribution is supposed to be relevant, especially at low air exchange rates. This study as part of a two-part research project investigated the suitability of direct low level 222Rn measurement under simulated indoor conditions with commercial radon monitors and dynamically operated emission test chambers. Active measuring devices based on ionisation or scintillation chambers with 1-σ uncertainties below 8.6% at 20 Bq m−3 were found to be best suitable for a practical test procedure for the determination of radon exhalation rates of building materials. For the measurement of such low concentrations, the knowledge of the accurate device background level is essential. KW - Radon monitors KW - Radon exhalation KW - Building materials KW - Measurement method PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncx137 SN - 1742-3406 SN - 0144-8420 VL - 177 IS - 1-2 SP - 16 EP - 20 PB - Oxford Academic AN - OPUS4-41952 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Nohr, M. A1 - Wilke, Olaf A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Application of a novel reference material in an international round robin test on material emissions testing JF - Indoor Air N2 - Emission testing of products is currently a rapidly increasing field of measurement activity. Labelling procedures for construction products are based on such emission test chamber measurements and hence measurement performance should be verified. A suited procedure for this purpose is the testing of one unique homogenous material in different laboratories within a Round Robin Test (RRT). Therefore, it is useful to have a reference material which can be used within inter-laboratory studies or as part of the quality management system to ensure comparable results. Several approaches on the development of reproducibly emitting materials have been published. These have in common only to emit a single VOC – toluene. Two further research studies carried out by BAM aimed to develop reference material for emissions testing containing one or more VOC in a single material. The first approach was a doped lacquer with Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC/SVOC) and the second was Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) or a Squalane/Paraffin mixture. Results received with the lacquer based material were presented in more detail. KW - Emission test chamber KW - Reference material KW - Round robin test KW - VOC PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-419412 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12421 SN - 1600-0668 SN - 0905-6947 VL - 28 IS - 1 SP - 181 EP - 187 PB - Wiley & Sons, Ltd. AN - OPUS4-41941 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hofmann, Michael A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Jann, Oliver T1 - Determination of radon exhalation from building materials in dynamically operated test chambers by use of commercially available measuring devices T2 - Healthy Buildings Europe 2015 N2 - The inhalation of radon (222Rn) decay products is the leading cause of lung cancer apart from tobacco smoking. Besides the permeation of radon from the subsoil through the basement as main source of radon in indoor air, also building materials have to be taken into consideration, especially at low air change rates in buildings. The Construction Products Regulation (EC, 2010) gives essential requirements for construction works regarding the release of dangerous substances such as toxic gases and radiation to which radon can be assigned. The recently adopted Basic Safety Standards Directive (EC, 2013), which has to be ratified by each European member state in between the next three years sets reference levels for indoor radon concentrations for the first time. In research project financed by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety a practical, reliable and easily applicable test procedure for the determination of radon exhalation from building materials – based on ISO 16000-9 (ISO, 2006) and CEN/TS 16516 (CEN, 2013) – should be developed. In contrast to the static test procedure published by Richter et al. (2013), dynamically operated test chambers shall be foregrounded. First results of this study are presented, focused on the reliable measurement of radon background concentration and the selection of suitable radon test devices, representing the basic elements of the subsequent work. T2 - Healthy Buildings Europe 2015 CY - Eindhoven, The Netherlands DA - 18.05.2015 KW - Radon exhalation KW - Building material KW - VOC emission test chamber KW - Radon measurement PY - 2015 SN - 978-90-386-3889-8 SP - Paper 552, 1 EP - 3 AN - OPUS4-35011 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Jann, Oliver A1 - Juritsch, Elevtheria A1 - Klinge, A. A1 - Roswag, E. A1 - Fontana, Patrick A1 - Miccoli, Lorenzo T1 - Indoor air emission tests of natural materials T2 - 1st ICBBM - International conference on bio-based building materials N2 - Emissions of building materials might have negative impact on human health and well-being. In the EU-funded research project H-House more than 30 natural materials (earthen dry boards and plasters, bio-based insulation materials made of wood, flax, reed, straw, etc.) used for renovation and refurbishment were tested regarding emissions of VOC, formaldehyde and radon. Different to ordinary emission tests on single materials this study focuses on the emissions from complete wall assemblies. Therefore, specially designed test chambers were used allowing the compounds to release only from the surface of the material facing indoors. The testing parameters were chosen in order to simulate model room conditions. The emission results were finally evaluated using the AgBB evaluation scheme, a procedure currently applied for the approval of flooring materials in Germany. T2 - 1st ICBBM - International conference on bio-based building materials CY - Clermont-Ferrand, France DA - 22.06.2015 KW - Emission testing KW - Natural materials KW - VOC KW - Formaldehyde KW - Radon PY - 2015 SN - 978-2-35158-154-4 SP - 641 EP - 643 AN - OPUS4-33609 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nohr, Michael A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Jann, Oliver A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Lorenz, W. T1 - Development of a multi-VOC reference material for quality assurance in materials emission testing JF - Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry N2 - Emission test chamber measurement is necessary to proof building materials as sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results of such measurements are used to evaluate materials and label them according to their potential to emit harmful substances, polluting indoor air. If only labelled materials were installed indoors, this would improve indoor air quality and prevent negative impacts on human health. Because of the complex testing procedure, reference materials for the quality assurance are mandatory. Currently, there is a lack of such materials because most building products show a broad variation of emissions even within one batch. A previous study indicates lacquers, mixed with volatile organic pollutants, as reproducible emission source for a wide range of substances. In the present study, the curing of the lacquer-VOC mixture inside micro-chambers was optimised. Therefore, the humidity and the chamber flow were varied. Typical indoor air pollutants with a wide range of volatilities, for example, styrene, n-hexadecane, dimethyl and dibutyl phthalate were selected. It turned out that, under optimised curing parameters inside the micro-chamber, their emission can be reproduced with variations of less than 10 %. With this, a next important step towards a reference material for emission testing was achieved. KW - Reference material KW - Emission KW - Emission test chamber KW - Micro-chamber KW - VOC PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-8387-2 SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 407 IS - 11 SP - 3231 EP - 3237 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-32404 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Jann, Oliver A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Pyza, Lars A1 - Wilke, Olaf T1 - System to generate stable long-term VOC gas mixtures of concentrations in the ppb range for test and calibration purposes JF - Gefahrstoffe, Reinhaltung der Luft = Air quality control N2 - The development of a gas mixing system (GMS) that enables dynamic and retraceable production of stable long-term VOC gas mixtures within the ppb range is discussed. In this system pure liquid substances are kept separately at a constant temperature, evaporated according to their vapour pressure and removed by a small inert gas flow. A modular set-up allows flexible handling. All vapours generated are finally united in a mixing chamber. Any concentration level of the gas mixture can be produced by a suitable combination of evaporation temperature, carrier and dilution gas flows. Test results from continuous operation over six weeks are presented. The equipment was tested on seven volatile organic compounds (VOC) of different vapour pressure ranges. It was possible to establish stable operation for the equipment during the entire period and reproducible gas concentrations which were traceable to the mass as an SI unit, thus the system is suitable for long-term tests.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Im Beitrag wird die Entwicklung eines Gasmischsystems (GMS) beschrieben, das die dynamische und rückführbare Generierung von langzeitstabilen VOC-Gasgemischen im ppb-Bereich erlaubt. Dabei werden Reinsubstanzen separat temperiert, ihrem Dampfdruck entsprechend verdampft und durch einen kleinen Inertgasstrom abgeführt. In einer Mischkammer werden sie schließlich zusammengeführt. Durch die Kombination von Verdampfungstemperatur, Träger- und Verdünnungsgasflüssen ist die Einstellung eines beliebigen Konzentrationsniveaus des Gasgemischs möglich. Aus einem Dauerbetrieb von sechs Wochen werden Untersuchungsergebnisse gezeigt. Dabei wurde die Apparatur mit insgesamt sieben flüchtigen organischen Verbindungen (VOC) unterschiedlicher Dampfdruckbereiche betrieben. Die Anlage lief über den gesamten Zeitraum stabil und lieferte reproduzierbare und auf die Masse als SI-Einheit rückführbare Gaskonzentrationen. Somit ist das Verfahren für Langzeitanwendungen geeignet. KW - Gas mixing system KW - VOC gas mixtures KW - Low gas concentrations KW - Evaporation KW - Dynamic gas generation PY - 2013 SN - 0949-8036 SN - 0039-0771 SN - 1436-4891 VL - 73 IS - 3 SP - 103 EP - 106 PB - Springer-VDI-Verl. CY - Düsseldorf AN - OPUS4-27903 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -