A Comparative Study of TVOC and HCHO Emissions From Various Multilayer Built-in Furniture Components Based on ISO 16000-9:2006 Emission Test Chamber Methods (original) (raw)
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Frontiers in Built Environment, 2022
Furniture emits various VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and formaldehyde (HCHO) into the indoor air. These indoor air pollutants can cause SBS (Sick Building Syndrome), such as sickness, headache, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, and loss of concentration. This paper aims to provide essential data for improving indoor air quality by identifying the characteristics of the emission of VOCs and HCHO according to the characteristics of raw materials and finishing methods for furniture materials. As a methodology, a small chamber experiment was conducted with eight different test pieces with different base materials compositions and surface finishing methods. VOCs and HCHO were collected and analyzed by GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry) and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). The result showed that the TVOC in the composite material differed according to the retention period of the raw material. HCHO preferentially affects the processing method and the storage period after molding rather than the retention period of raw materials. TVOC emission was lower when the surface finishing method was applied, like paint finish. HCHO emission was getting lower when the adhesive was used during molding. Furniture applied to new houses is installed indoors in the form of finished products (composite materials). It was confirmed that the emission amount from furniture was generally higher than that of the general interior finishing material. Not only using eco-friendly raw materials, securing a specific retention period for raw materials, selecting eco-friendly processing methods, securing a particular retention period after molding, and post-construction management (ventilation and bake-out) should be done through a comprehensive evaluation of furniture.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted from Coated Furniture Units
Coatings, 2021
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main source influencing the overall air quality of an environment. It is a well-known fact that coated furniture units, in the form of paints and varnishes, emit VOCs, reducing the air quality and resulting in significant health problems. Exposure time to such compounds is also an important parameter regarding their possible health effects. Such issues also have a greater influence when the exposure period is extended. The main objective of this study was to review some of the important factors for the emission of VOCs from coated furniture, from the perspective of material characteristics, as well as health concerns. Some methods for controlling VOC emissions to improve indoor air quality, from the point of view recent regulations and suggestions, are also presented in this work.
Vol. 44, No. 4: 358-364, 2016
The health and safety of people in indoor environments are influenced not only by climate and biological agents (bacteria, virus) but also by the potential presence of air pollutants. Pollutants can come from many sources, such as cigarette smoke, fireplaces, preparation of foods, traffic, etc. Even furniture and building materials used in constructions (floorings, ceilings, walls, etc.) can emit harmful substances for the health of the occupants. Such emissions mainly derive from the coatings applied on the surfaces of the finished products and consequently a special attention shall be paid to the formulation and to the use of such products. This paper presents a summary about the legislative and normative scenario on indoor emissions with the evidence of some data referred to parquet floorings coated with different coating materials. The work, as well as recalling the concepts expressed above, represents a point of reference on the subject for all operators in the sector given the innovative nature and however strong impact that the VOC issue currently plays in this area.
The Scientific World JOURNAL, 2011
The emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured to investigate the emission characteristics of five types of common furniture products using a 5 m3size chamber at 25°C and 50% humidity. The results indicated that toluene andα-pinene are the most dominant components. The emission rates of individual components decreased constantly through time, approaching the equilibrium emission level. The relative ordering of their emission rates, if assessed in terms of total VOC (TVOC), can be arranged as follows: dining table > sofa > desk chair > bedside table > cabinet. If the emission rates of VOCs are examined between different chemical groups, they can also be arranged in the following order: aromatic (AR) > terpenes (TER) > carbonyl (CBN) > others > paraffin (PR) > olefin (HOL) > halogenated paraffin (HPR). In addition, if emission strengths are compared between coated and uncoated furniture, there is no significant difference in terms o...
Formaldehyde Emissions and Effects on Health During Arrival of Furniture to Ultimate Consumer
2019
People spend most of their time in closed areas such as home, office, school. For this reason, indoor environment pollution has great importance for human health. In this environment, the formaldehyde gas in the indoor furniture produced by the synthetic resin made from the panels is gradually released into the living spaces. The indoor concentration of formaldehyde gas in ppm is higher than the international standard, that is, the comfort limit value accepted by the western countries, which causes considerable damage to human health, especially to children. In this study; formaldehyde emission values of five different companies’ wood-based panel products determined by three different methods in Turkey and in 50 furniture manufacturing facilities, 50 furniture stores, 50 new apartments; formaldehyde gas analyzes have been performed. As a result; on average, furniture manufacturing 0.45 ppm, in furniture store 0.37 ppm, in new apartments 0.11 ppm formaldehyde gas release has been mea...
Advances in Polymer Technology, 2019
This study was conducted for the qualitative and quantitative determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) from polymeric foam materials used in upholstered furniture. Six different types of foams viz. Highly elastic foam K5040, standard PU foam N5063, bonded polyurethane foam R100, viscoelastic foam V5020, self-extinguishing foam KF5560, and foam rubber were used. Short-term and long-term (24, 48, 72, 672 hours (28 day)) measurements were done to differentiate the role of primary emissions (present in new products) and secondary emissions (due to chemical reactions in material or slowly released due to the porous structure of material). The samples were collected using a small-space sampling chamber at a temperature of 23°C and a humidity of 50% depending on the aspect of time. The concentrations of VOC and TVOC were identified and quantified using a Gas chromatography–Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) based method. Based on the VOC measure...
Natural Building Materials for Interior Fitting and Refurbishment—What about Indoor Emissions?
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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 o...
VOC emissions from building materials: results from lab and model room trials
This paper reports on first results from a recently finished project dealing with indoor air quality in timber constructed houses. The FLEC method was applied measuring single building products with respect to their emission of VOCs (i.e. volatile organic compounds) on a small scale. Furthermore, total emissions are investigated in full scale model rooms (30 m3) equipped with variable panel product types and coverings. It has been shown that the total VOC (TVOC) value, consisting of a heterogeneous mixture of single substances (from 25 up to 68 within the test setup), decreases significantly with duration time. Within one year, ranking of the TVOC emission level for 26 individual building products including wood based panels, plasterboards, flexible insulations, adhesives, vapour barriers and sealing sheets changed. Approximately 30% of the single substances formed 80% of the TVOC fraction. This actually highlights the complexity of indoor air emissions from building products. Full ...