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Diffusive sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on thermal desorption (TD) tubes is a useful technique to determine VOC levels in occupied homes due to its simplicity. Diffusive uptake rate (UR) is critical information for passive sampling. Relationships between UR and chemical properties were determined in a chamber (31 m³) with 52 VOCs. TD tubes tested included Carbopack B (CB), Tenax TA (TX) or Carbograph 5TD (CG5) for 4 to 8-day sampling. The results showed that the UR for TX had a positive relationship with boiling point for both polar and non-polar compounds. Diffusion coefficient (Da) was a better predictor of UR for CB and CG5. Interestingly, the UR of non-polar compounds showed a positive relationship with Da, while the opposite was observed for polar compounds on CB. The relationships determined in this study are expected to be useful in understating the levels of VOCs with no measured UR., The 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality & Climate (Indoor Air 2020), Nov. 1st, 2020, Held Online

Whole-house and inter-zonal ventilation rates are important parameters to understand energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Under occupancy, passive sampling using thermal desorption (TD) tubes is more desirable due to its simple and less obtrusive nature. In this research, the uptake rates of six perfluoro-carbon tracer (PFT) gases were determined in a laboratory setting for 4 to 7-day passive sampling on two types of TD tubes. The sources of PFTs were manufactured and their stability were investigated for 4 months. The passive method was validated against the SF₆ decay method and applied to determine inter-zonal air flows in a research house. The air change rates measured with the passive release and sampling of PFT gases were comparable to those from the SF₆ method. This study shows that the passive uptake rates determined in a chamber and PFT sources manufactured in-house can be useful to measure the inter-zonal air flows in homes under occupancy., The 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality & Climate (Indoor Air 2020), Nov. 1st, 2020, Held Online

The goal of this study was to develop a passive flux sampler (PFS) that can be used to measure formaldehyde emission rates from existing surfaces on-site using a commercially available DNPH cartridge. The performance of PFS was compared with the conventional 50-L chamber test. The formaldehyde emission rates from PFS were in good agreement with those from the chamber tests, involving 10 composite wood materials. The performance of PFS was further validated in a newly-built research house, where PFS was deployed onto 6 interior surfaces. The predicted formaldehyde concentrations based on the measured emission factors with PFS showed good agreement with the measured concentrations (17 – 22 % difference). The results show that a PFS with a commercial DNPH cartridge can be a useful tool to measure formaldehyde emission rates on-site passively for 4 – 7 days., ISES-ISAIQ 2019: Joint Conference, August 18-22, 2019, Kaunas, Lithuania

The goal of this study was to characterize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from consumer products that Canadians commonly store in attached garages. A total of 30 consumer products were tested for 121 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in one large-scale (2 m3) chamber and four small-scale (50 L) chambers for 4 days under standard conditions of 50% RH, ~23 oC and 1 air change per hour. Additionally, the air concentrations of selected VOCs1 in the house and garage were predicted based on the emission factors measured in the tests.

Data from emissions testing conducted by NRC in 2012/2013 of 52 building materials was used to model resulting indoor concentrations in a typical Canadian house (Won et al., 2013). These results helped to provide updated identification of major indoor VOC sources, and led to the selection of paints and wood-based products as priority materials for further evaluation. The significant usage of insulation materials in residential construction, coupled with a lack of emissions data for this product group, led to the selection of insulation as a 3rd class of materials to be studied in greater detail. A total of 30 additional materials were therefore tested for VOC emissions in 2013/14 (10 paints, 8 wood-based materials and 12 insulation products). In accordance with ASTM D5116- 2010, the test method employed small-scale chambers operated for 4 – 8 days under standard conditions (23 C, 50% RH and 1 air change per hour). As with the previous report (Won et al., 2013), the target compounds included 121 VOCs with the emphasis on formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, and acrolein, concentrations of which in Canadian homes were measured to be higher than indoor air reference levels (IARL) by Health Canada.2 Additionally, different factors that could potentially impact VOC emissions were tested for paint and spray polyurethane foam (SPF). The impact of tinting on emissions from paint was examined to test the hypothesis that dark colored paints tend to have higher emissions than light colored ones. SPF insulation has been reported to emit odorous compounds if it is not applied correctly (Holiday, 2011). The impacts of the SPF application methodology on VOC emissions were tested with a “do-it-yourself” two-component spray foam insulation product. Test specimens were applied either with strict adherence to manufacturer’s instructions or with modifications to application temperature and ratio of two components. This report summarizes the test results with test conditions and material information. To compare emission strength of different materials and compounds, the emission factors measured at 24 hour were used since data sets at later hours (e.g., 96 hour) tend to be subject to bigger analytical uncertainties due to their low concentrations. Indoor air concentrations in Canadian homes were estimated using empirical emission models based on all emission factors measured for the 4 – 8 day test periods., Prepared for: Health Canada, Préparé pour: Santé Canada

A total of 52 building materials were tested for 124 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in small-scale (50 L) and micro-scale chambers (44 mL) in accordance with ASTM standards. The test materials included 25 dry building materials (vinyl flooring, area rugs, laminated flooring, solid wood flooring, interior panels, structural materials, insulation and acoustical ceiling tile) and 27 wet materials (paint, wood finish/stain, polyurethane coating, adhesive and caulking)., Prepared for: Health Canada, Préparé pour: Santé Canada