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Developing a Reference Material for Diffusion-Controlled Formaldehyde Emissions Testing
Citation:
Liu, Z., X. Liu, X. Zhao, S. Cox, AND J. Little. Developing a Reference Material for Diffusion-Controlled Formaldehyde Emissions Testing. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 47(22):12946-12951, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
This research was to develop a formaldehyde reference material that could be used to identify and eliminate or minimize the root causes of formaldehyde emissions measurement variability. It was to support the EPA formaldehyde regulations.
Description:
Emissions of formaldehyde from building materials can contaminate indoor air and create significant risks to human health. The need to control formaldehyde emissions from indoor materials is made more urgent by the prevailing drive to improve building energy by decreasing ventilation rates. To develop low-emission products, formaldehyde emission rates are usually measured in chambers. However, three significant problems are associated with chamber testing: (1) testing results obtained by individual laboratories are frequently inconsistent; (2) emissions testing in chambers is expensive and time-consuming; and (3) chamber tests provide little insight into the mechanisms controlling emissions. This research addressed these problems by developing a reference emissions source for formaldehyde emissions testing and demonstrating that formaldehyde emissions can be predicted using a fundamental mass-transfer model. Emission mechanisms and the related modeling approaches for predicting emissions were investigated by reviewing the literature and performing chamber studies. Based on formaldehyde emission mechanisms, diffusion-controlled reference materials that mimic actual sources were created. This research elucidates the mass-transfer mechanisms for formaldehyde emissions and provides practical approaches for developing an emissions reference material. The fundamental understanding of emissions mechanisms can be used to improve emissions testing and provide a sound basis on which to develop standards and regulations.
