Winther Funch - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Winther Funch

Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as... more Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m can be expected.

Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as... more Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m can be expected.

The motive for this study was the recent recognition of a carcinogenic effect on humans caused by... more The motive for this study was the recent recognition of a carcinogenic effect on humans caused by formaldehyde. The purpose was to elucidate if the formaldehyde concentration in newly built Danish dwellings could cause health risks. The concentration of formaldehyde was measured in 20 new houses in Denmark. In addition temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration and air change was measured. The measurements were made in the smallest room suitable for habitation in the dwelling. During measurements the windows and doors were closed and all other ventilation options were kept as the occupants had left them. Results showed that the newest and largest dwellings had a tendency to have the highest formaldehyde concentrations. No relation was found between concentration of formaldehyde and size of selected room, air change rate, ventilation principle, indoor temperature and humidity. Formaldehyde concentration exceeded the guiding value of 0.10 mg/m 3 stated by WHO in two dwellings.

In the period from July to September 2007 radon concentrations were measured in 200 occupied sing... more In the period from July to September 2007 radon concentrations were measured in 200 occupied single family houses built from 2005 to 2007. The geometrical mean concentration was 35 Bq/m 3 and 1 % of the houses had concentrations above 200 Bq/m 3. In a subsequent period from December 2007 to March 2008, air change rates were measured and attempts to find the causes of high radon concentrations in the 20 houses with the highest radon concentrations were made. Eighty % of these 20 houses had air change rates below 0.5 h-1 , but no significant relation between air change rates and radon concentrations were found. In these occupied houses it was not possible to find any direct causes of the high radon concentrations.

It is uncertain if current Danish legislation regarding emission of formaldehyde from wood-based ... more It is uncertain if current Danish legislation regarding emission of formaldehyde from wood-based panels could assure that concentrations of formaldehyde in the indoor air of buildings containing the material would meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. This is of particular concern since the recent recognition by International Agency for Research on Cancer that formaldehyde is carcinogenic to humans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether residents of newly built Danish residential houses could be exposed to safe levels of formaldehyde. Geometric mean concentration of formaldehyde measured in 20 residential buildings was 0.04 mg m−3. Formaldehyde concentrations in two buildings (10%) exceeded the WHO guideline value. In order to explain the relatively high concentrations, a second phase was performed. The aim was to identify the significant formaldehyde sources and to discuss the source strength in relation to field measurements and WHO guidelines. The results showed wide differences between the materials tested, but all steady-state concentrations were below the European standard requirement for class E1. These measurements formed the basis for model calculations of possible resulting concentrations in residential rooms, suggesting that indoor concentrations above the WHO maximum limit could occur. The calculations applied a worst case scenario with all surfaces covered with materials emitting the maximum permissible amount of formaldehyde show indoor concentrations as high as 0.6 mg m−3.

ABSTRACT SUMMARY Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints ... more ABSTRACT SUMMARY Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m 3 to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m 3 can be expected. last seven years. The mean indoor air concentration was 0.05 mg/m 3 with a standard deviation of 0.026 mg/m 3. The concentrations of formaldehyde were higher than the WHO guideline value of 0.1 mg/m 3 (WHO, 2000) in two houses. The newer houses had the highest formaldehyde concentrations in this study. Relatively high concentrations in homes were found in several other studies. Concentrations of formaldehyde measured in 185 homes in Perth, Australia, were in the range 0.0006 - 0.11 mg/m 3 with negative correlation between age of the house and formaldehyde levels (Dingle and Franklin, 2002). In a study by Marchand et al. (2006) conducted in 22 residential homes in Strasbourg, France, formaldehyde concentration was in the range 0.013 - 0.123 mg/m 3, and in 399 Turkish homes it was from 0 to 1.1 mg/m 3 ( Vaizoglu et al. 2003). These results pointed out a need to look for sources of formaldehyde in newly constructed buildings. The current regulation in Denmark for formaldehyde emission from wood-based construction products indicates that the indoor air concentration in an emission chamber should not exceed 0.124 mg/m 3 (DN/EN 13986:2004). This has probably induced a development where traditional sources such as wood based construction board less often emit

Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as... more Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m can be expected.

Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as... more Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m can be expected.

The motive for this study was the recent recognition of a carcinogenic effect on humans caused by... more The motive for this study was the recent recognition of a carcinogenic effect on humans caused by formaldehyde. The purpose was to elucidate if the formaldehyde concentration in newly built Danish dwellings could cause health risks. The concentration of formaldehyde was measured in 20 new houses in Denmark. In addition temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration and air change was measured. The measurements were made in the smallest room suitable for habitation in the dwelling. During measurements the windows and doors were closed and all other ventilation options were kept as the occupants had left them. Results showed that the newest and largest dwellings had a tendency to have the highest formaldehyde concentrations. No relation was found between concentration of formaldehyde and size of selected room, air change rate, ventilation principle, indoor temperature and humidity. Formaldehyde concentration exceeded the guiding value of 0.10 mg/m 3 stated by WHO in two dwellings.

In the period from July to September 2007 radon concentrations were measured in 200 occupied sing... more In the period from July to September 2007 radon concentrations were measured in 200 occupied single family houses built from 2005 to 2007. The geometrical mean concentration was 35 Bq/m 3 and 1 % of the houses had concentrations above 200 Bq/m 3. In a subsequent period from December 2007 to March 2008, air change rates were measured and attempts to find the causes of high radon concentrations in the 20 houses with the highest radon concentrations were made. Eighty % of these 20 houses had air change rates below 0.5 h-1 , but no significant relation between air change rates and radon concentrations were found. In these occupied houses it was not possible to find any direct causes of the high radon concentrations.

It is uncertain if current Danish legislation regarding emission of formaldehyde from wood-based ... more It is uncertain if current Danish legislation regarding emission of formaldehyde from wood-based panels could assure that concentrations of formaldehyde in the indoor air of buildings containing the material would meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. This is of particular concern since the recent recognition by International Agency for Research on Cancer that formaldehyde is carcinogenic to humans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether residents of newly built Danish residential houses could be exposed to safe levels of formaldehyde. Geometric mean concentration of formaldehyde measured in 20 residential buildings was 0.04 mg m−3. Formaldehyde concentrations in two buildings (10%) exceeded the WHO guideline value. In order to explain the relatively high concentrations, a second phase was performed. The aim was to identify the significant formaldehyde sources and to discuss the source strength in relation to field measurements and WHO guidelines. The results showed wide differences between the materials tested, but all steady-state concentrations were below the European standard requirement for class E1. These measurements formed the basis for model calculations of possible resulting concentrations in residential rooms, suggesting that indoor concentrations above the WHO maximum limit could occur. The calculations applied a worst case scenario with all surfaces covered with materials emitting the maximum permissible amount of formaldehyde show indoor concentrations as high as 0.6 mg m−3.

ABSTRACT SUMMARY Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints ... more ABSTRACT SUMMARY Measurements of formaldehyde emission from wooden boards, insulation and paints were performed as a part of a project aiming to identify major sources of formaldehyde among construction and finishing products in Danish residential buildings. The methodology of measuring followed standard DS/EN 717-1:2004. The concentrations differed widely between tested materials. The initial concentration ranged from below 0.01 mg/m 3 to 0.115 mg/m 3 and it dropped below 0.01 mg/m 3 for 7 out of 12 the investigated materials at the end of the measuring period, while for the remaining 5 materials it did not change noticeably. All measured concentrations were below Danish requirements, however performed calculations of formaldehyde concentration in a room finished with investigated materials suggest that indoor concentrations above 0.1 mg/m 3 recommended by WHO are well-founded, and concentrations as high as 0.5 mg/m 3 can be expected. last seven years. The mean indoor air concentration was 0.05 mg/m 3 with a standard deviation of 0.026 mg/m 3. The concentrations of formaldehyde were higher than the WHO guideline value of 0.1 mg/m 3 (WHO, 2000) in two houses. The newer houses had the highest formaldehyde concentrations in this study. Relatively high concentrations in homes were found in several other studies. Concentrations of formaldehyde measured in 185 homes in Perth, Australia, were in the range 0.0006 - 0.11 mg/m 3 with negative correlation between age of the house and formaldehyde levels (Dingle and Franklin, 2002). In a study by Marchand et al. (2006) conducted in 22 residential homes in Strasbourg, France, formaldehyde concentration was in the range 0.013 - 0.123 mg/m 3, and in 399 Turkish homes it was from 0 to 1.1 mg/m 3 ( Vaizoglu et al. 2003). These results pointed out a need to look for sources of formaldehyde in newly constructed buildings. The current regulation in Denmark for formaldehyde emission from wood-based construction products indicates that the indoor air concentration in an emission chamber should not exceed 0.124 mg/m 3 (DN/EN 13986:2004). This has probably induced a development where traditional sources such as wood based construction board less often emit