Building materials: Emission of volatile compounds – On-site measurements with Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) (NT BUILD 484)

Abstract

SCOPE

This method specifies a procedure for identification of planar emission sources on-site in buildings which may affect the indoor air quality. The objective of the method is to determine the type and amount of volatile compounds emitted per unit area and time from the surface of the material, expressed as the emission rate, mg/(m2 x h). The method shall be regarded as a semiquantitative procedure, as e.g. the climate in the cell can be difficult to control on-site in buildings. As indicated in the title, it is also possible to perform emission measurements on building materials in the laboratory. The procedure for those measurements is described elsewhere. The main difference between emission tests made on-site in buildings and in the laboratory is the period of time for ventilation of the emission cell before the air is sampled, which for practical reasons has to be shorter on-site. The apparatus may be used for emission measurements of compounds detectable by several analytical techniques and with the use of different types of adsorbents/absorbents. The specific procedure for sampling and analysis using adsorbent tubes intended for gas chromatography is described here.