Researchers develop tool to measure VOCs

Manufacturers of construction materials
could test their products for VOCs.

Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Virginia Tech have come up with a new approach for measuring harmful indoor air pollutants.

The measurement tool is a reference sample for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could assist testers of indoor air quality as well as manufacturers of paints, carpets, cleaners and building products.

The prototype test material is made of thin squares of plastic that were saturated with vapors of a common solvent. They provided more accurate test results than other more costly and time-consuming methods.


VOCs are common indoor air pollutants

VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids in various common building materials, including paints, glues and furniture as well as common household products such as cleaning agents, air fresheners and scented personal care products.

Reported health effects to exposure include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.

According to the article, VOC emissions from building materials and products have also been linked to occupant illness, reduced worker productivity, and increased requirements for ventilation/air cleaning, leading to increased energy consumption. As a result, low VOC emitting products are being used more widely in buildings to help achieve a healthy and sustainable indoor environment.

Even though several programs for testing VOC emissions from building products exist, manufacturers who want to test their products to determine that emissions are below limits set in regulations or voluntary standards got results that often varied significantly.


How the new tool works to measure toxins

The researchers prepared two batches of sample material—thin films of polymethyl pentane, a plastic used in gas-permeable packaging, saturated with toluene, a common VOC found in paint and other products.

A mathematical model developed by the research team accurately predicts rates of emission from the sample over time. The preliminary multi-laboratory tests showed that the prototype reference material is uniform in composition and sufficiently stable and that rates of VOC emissions within and between production batches are consistent.

The researchers conclude that their prototype could reduce inter-laboratory variability in results to less than 10 percent—much better than current methods. An international pilot will be conducted later this year.

More information: "New tool debuts for measuring indoor air pollutants." March 16th, 2011.


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