The influence of area-specific ventilation rate on the emissions from construction products

Experiments were performed using small-scale climate chambers, including the new Chamber for Laboratory Investigations of Materials Pollution and Air Quality (CLIMPAQ), to gain knowledge about the influence of ventilation rate per plane specimen area (specific ventilation rate) on emission rates. Emissions from pieces of linoleum, waterborne acrylic paint, nylon carpet, and sealant were quantified at different specific ventilation rates. A trained sensory panel used the decipol scale and chemical analysis quantified some major Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) after the specimens had been conditioned in the chambers for six days. The results showed that the specific ventilation rate (L/s m2) may influence the emission rates. In both sensory and chemical terms, emission rates increased when ventilation was increased. At low specific ventilation rates the emission rate was proportional to the specific ventilation rate. For higher ventilation rates the emission rates stabilized and became independent of ventilation. The chemical measurements showed that only the emissions from the tested paint were influenced by ventilation rates above those comparable to 0.5 h(-1) in a typical room. The emissions quantified by the sensory panel continued, however, to be influenced by ventilation even at rates higher than 5 h(-1). (C) Indoor Air (1997).