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Methods and results of characterization of organic emissions from an indoor material

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5843012
This paper presents the method and example results for determing organic air emissions from a common indoor material (a water-based adhesive). A well-instrumented and characterized 0.166 cu m stainless steel test chamber was used to ventilate sample materials at controlled air change rates, temperatures, and relative humidities. The test chamber outlet air stream was sampled using Tenax (1.6 g) filled glass cartridges. The Tenax sample cartridges were then thermally desorbed for further concentration onto a Nutech model 8528 purge-and-trap system and desorption to a packed-column gas chromatograph for analysis. Organic emissions were quantified on species-specific and total-organics bases. Test chamber concentrations of total organics for the adhesive were observed to diminish with time. Calculated emission rates for the adhesive were determined to be 95 micrograms/g/hr after ventilation at 1.77 air changes per hour (ACHs) for 10 hr, and 259 micrograms/g/hr after 24-hr ventilation at 3.6 ACHs.
Research Organization:
Acurex Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC (USA)
OSTI ID:
5843012
Report Number(s):
PB-88-104138/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English