EN 16516 sets specifications for the determination of emissions into indoor air from construction products. Reliable, accurate and International System of Unit (SI)-traceable measurement results of the emissions are the key to consumer protection. Such measurement results can be obtained by using metrologically traceable reference materials. Gas-phase standards of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air can be prepared by a variety of dynamic methods according to the ISO 6145 series. However, these methods are not always applicable for semi-VOCs (SVOCs) due to their high boiling point and low vapour pressure. Therefore, a novel dynamic gas mixture generation system has been developed. With this system gas-phase standards with trace level VOCs and SVOCs in air can be prepared between 10 nmol mol−1 and 1000 nmol mol−1. The VOCs and SVOCs in this study have normal boiling points ranging from 146 °C to 343 °C. Metrologically traceable reference materials of the gas-phase standard were obtained by sampling of the VOC gas-phase standard into Tenax TA® sorbent material in SilcoNert® coated stainless steel tubes. Accurately known masses between 10 ng and 1000 ng per VOC were sampled. These reference materials were used to validate the dynamic system. Furthermore, the storage and stability periods of the VOCs in the reference materials were determined as these are crucial characteristics to obtain accurate and SI-traceable reference materials. In a round robin test (RRT), the reference materials were used with the aim of demonstrating the feasibility of providing SI-traceable standard reference values for SVOCs for interlaboratory comparison purposes. Based on the results from the validation, the storage and stability studies and the RRT, gas-phase standards and reference materials of VOCs and SVOCs with relative expanded uncertainties between 5% and 12% (k = 2) have been developed. These reference standards can be used as calibrants, reference materials or quality control materials for the analysis of VOC emissions.
Biocides are used to protect materials that might be damaged by fungal, microbial or insect activity. The aim of this study is to develop a method for the measurement of these organic compounds, which generally have low or moderate vapor pressures. The biocides considered in this study are permethrin, dichlofluanid, tolylfluanid, iodpropinylbutylcarbamat, octylisothiazolinone, tebuconazole and propiconazole. The emission from two commercial products (plastic foil, wool carpet) containing biocides and of seven types of biocidal formulations applied to wood or clay tiles were investigated in 20-l glass emission test chambers. Each chamber test was performed over a period of 100200 days, and one investigation was conducted over several years. Compared to volatile organic compounds, low-volatility compounds show totally different emission curves in chamber tests; maximal emission values may be reached in days or weeks. A period of 3 months is sometimes necessary for the determination of area-specific emission rates (SERa's). The SERa's (?g m-2 h-1) from biocide-containing products were determined for permethrin (0.006), propiconazole (0.3), dichlofluanid (2.0), tolylfluanid (1.0), octylisothiazolinone (2.5) and iodpropinylbutylcarbamat (2). In most cases, the SERa stayed at its maximum value or declined slowly over the test period. Additionally, a chamber test begun in 1994 with a piece of wood treated with a typical mixture of biocides dissolved in a technical solvent was continued. SERa's (?g m-2 h-1) for dichlofluanid (0.20), tebuconazole (0.49) and permethrin (0.08) remained detectable after the period of nearly 9 years during which the sample remained continuously in the chamber. This test proved the very slow decrease of emission of low-volatility compounds like permethrin and tebuconazole.
The European biocides directive (98/8/EG) demand the control of emissions into the envi-ronment like soil, water and air. In this study a method for measuring the input of biocides into the indoor air from materials should be developed. The emission of two products containing biocides (plastic foil, wool carpet) and six different types of biocide containing formulations applied on wood or ceramic tiles were investigated in 20 or 23 l glass emission chambers. Each chamber test was performed over a period of 100 up to 200 days. SVOC show totally different emission curves in chamber tests compared to volatile organic com-pounds (VOC). They reach their maximum value after some days or weeks. Thus a period of 3 months is sometimes necessary for exact measurements. Area specific emission rates (SERa in µg/m²h) for permethrin (0.006), propiconazole (0.2), dichlofluanid (1.5), tolylfluanid (1.2), octylisothiazolinone (2.5) and for iodpropinylbutyl-carbamat (1.7) were determined.
Im vorliegenden Bericht wurden 11 Fußbodenbelagskleber, eine Grundierung, eine Spachtelmasse, 14 Teppiche, 5 PVC-Bodenbeläge, drei Linoleum-Beläge, ein Kautschukbelag und ein Polyolefinbelag über einen Zeitraum von mindestens 28 Tagen mittels Prüfkammer- bzw. Prüfzellenmessung auf ihr Emissionsverhalten untersucht. Die Emissionsmessungen an den Einzelmaterialien Kleber und Bodenbelag sollten die möglichen Emissionen (Substanzen und Konzentrationen) und deren zeitlichen Verlauf ermitteln. Außerdem wurden die Emissionen aus 7 Materialkombinationen ermittelt. Dazu gerhörten drei Komplettaufbauten aus Estrich, Grundierung, Spachtelmasse und Kleber mit den Belägen Teppich, PVC und Linoleum sowie 4 Verbundsysteme. Dies waren: Verbundsystem Estrich/Grundierung/Spachtelmasse/Kleber, Verbundsystem Glasplatte/Kleber/Teppich, Verbundsystem Glasplatte/Kleber/PVC-Belag und das Verbundsystem Estrich/Kleber. Die Emissionen aus den Komplettbauten wueden durch Sorptionseffekte und durch die unterschiedliche Durchlässigkeit der Bodenbeläge beeinflusst. Dabei waren die Emissionen aus den Komplettaufbauten und Verbundsystemen jeweils geringer als die Summe der Emissionen der entsprechenden Einzelmaterialien. Ergänzende Untersuchungen wurden durchgeführt zur Vergleichbarkeit der Emissionsmessungen in unterschiedlichen Prüfkammern (Volumen 1 m3 und 0,02 m3) bzw. Messzellen(Volumen 1 l und 0,035 l [FLEC]). und bei 42 Klebern zur Anwendbarkeit der Direkt-Thermodesorption (dynamische Headspace-Methode) als Screening-Verfahren. Des weiteren wurden Versuche durchgeführt, um die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Probenherstellung (Trägermaterial, Auftragsmenge, Auftragsart) auf die Emissionen aus den Fußbodenklebern abschhätzen können. Die durchgeführten Untersuchungen stellen eine Grundlage zur Erarbeitung eines Umweltzeichens für Fußbodenkleber dar.
Comparison of different types of emission test chambers and cells regarding VOC- and SVOC-emission
(2005)
The present study comprises the characterisation of museum show cases concerning their hazardous potential for
art objects. In order to estimate potential risks of damage the emission of volatile organic compounds coming from
several construction materials is monitored and different air exchange rates from exhibit cases are determined. For
the determination of the VOCs different methods were applied. The first step is a direct thermal extraction of the
materials followed by emission test chamber measurements. The tracer gas method with N2O that is used in this study is a convenient procedure to investigate air exchange rates under working conditions greater than 0.05 d-1. The results of this study confirm the importance of the careful choice concerning building materials for show cases. Furthermore the analyses clarify that certain organic compounds might be a problem for the exhibits in show cases with low air exchange rates.
In diesem Vorhaben wurden 8 OSB-Platten und sieben Leimholzplatten aus Baumärkten gemäß den Vorgaben des AgBB-Schemas in Emissionsmesskammern geprüft. Hinzu kamen Messungen an 17 im Technikum hergestellten OSB, an denen der Einfluss von Herstellungsparametern auf VOCEmission untersucht wurde. Grundsätzliches Ziel war es, durch die Untersuchungen Lösungsansätze für die Emissionsminderung von VOC aus Holzwerkstoffen zu finden. Dazu wurde auch der Einsatz von Antioxidantien bei der OSB-Herstellung getestet. Die Emissionen des Rohstoffes Kiefernholz wurden an 6 Proben aus Splint- oder Kernholz aus unterschiedlichen Stammabschnitten einer frisch gefällten Kiefer untersucht. Insgesamt konnte mit dem Projekt gezeigt werden, dass einige der im Handel erhältlichen OSB und auch Leimhölzer eine Bewertung nach dem AgBB-Schema aufgrund von zu hohen Aldehyd- und Terpenemissionen nicht bestehen. Für die Aldehydemissionen (insbesondere Hexanal und ungesättigte höhere Aldehyde) konnte durch den Einsatz von Antioxidantien bei der OSB-Herstellung eine Verminderung auf ein Drittel erreicht werden, allerdings stiegen dadurch die Terpenemissionen an. In this project, eight Oriented Strand Boards (OSB) and seven plywood boards from DIY stores were tested in emission test chambers according to the AgBB schemes specifications. In addition, 17 OSBs manufactured in a pilot plant were tested to investigate the effect of production parameters on VOC emission. The use of antioxidants in OSB production was also tested. The main objective of the investigation was to find potential solutions for reducing VOC emissions from timber materials. The emissions from pine wood were investigated on six sapwood or heartwood samples from different trunk sections of freshly felled pine. The projects results show that, due to their high aldehyde and terpene emissions, some types of commercially available OSB and plywood did not meet the AgBB schemes requirements. By using antioxidants in OSB production it was possible to reduce aldehyde emissions (especially hexanal and unsaturated higher aldehydes) to one third. However, this caused an increase in terpene emissions.