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AIR TOXICS EMISSIONS FROM A VINYL SHOWER CURTAIN
Citation:
Chang*, J.C S., R. C. Fortmann, AND N. Roache. AIR TOXICS EMISSIONS FROM A VINYL SHOWER CURTAIN. Presented at Indoor Air 2002, Monterey, CA, 6/30-7/5/02.
Description:
The paper reports results of both static and dynamic chamber tests conducted to evaluate emission characteristics of air toxics from a vinyl shower Curtain. (NOTE: Due to the relatively low price and ease of installation, vinyl shower curtains have been widely used in bathrooms in the U.S.) Three static chamber tests were performed to measure the headspace concentrations of the curtain when stored in a sealed container. Four air toxies--toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), ethylbenzene, and phenol--were detected. After 24 h, the headspace concentration of each air toxic reached a plateau reflecting gas/solid equilibrium conditions. Although the chamber loadings varied by a factor of 3.1, the average headspace equilibrium concentrations differed by less than 32% among the three chambers. The emission patterns of the four air toxics were measured by a dynamic chamber test with 1.0 sq m/cu m loading and 0.5/h air exchange rate. All four air toxics concentrations peaked in less than 6 h, followed by slow decay. An emission model was developed to interpret both the static and dynamic chamber data. The model verified that the measured static chamber headspace equilibrium concentration should appear rather independent of chamber loading and represents the maximum air toxics level achievable by the shower curtain in an enclosed environment. Analysis of the dynamic chamber data indicated that the air toxies emissions were controlled by a solid-phase diffusion process and could result in elevated indoor air toxics concentrations for more than a month.