Significance and Use

Indoor materials/products are products or materials used for construction works or in the indoor environment. The area specific emission rates of volatile organic compounds from an indoor material/product may be used to estimate the expected contribution of emissions from that material/product to the atmosphere of a given indoor environment.

Emission data may also be used to compare and categorize different indoor materials/products of similar function.

Emission cell testing of area specific emissions may alternatively be used for studying secondary interactions (for example, sink effects (absorption and re-emission of volatile organics by the indoor material/product) or emissions generated by chemical degradation of the indoor material/product caused by specific atmospheric agents such as water, ozone or NO _x ).

1. Scope

1.1 This practice is intended for determining volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from materials and products using emission cells. It can be applied in principle to most construction materials and many products used indoors. Objectives include:

1.1.1 To provide manufacturers, builders, and end users with emission data useful for evaluating the impact of building products, new or old, on indoor air concentrations in a model room.

1.1.2 To promote the development of products with lower VOC emissions.

1.2 This practice is for identifying emitted VOCs and for determining the area specific emission rate of VOCs from newly produced building products under defined climate conditions. The method can also be applied to aged products.

1.3 In accordance with the definition of an emission cell, it is also possible to perform nondestructive emission measurements on building products on-site in buildings. However, the procedure for such measurements is not described in this standard.

1.4 This practice describes the design, construction, performance evaluation and use of emission cells for VOC emission testing. Sampling, transport and storage of materials to be tested, and preparation of test specimens are also described.

1.5 Air sampling and analytical methods for the determination of VOCs are described in Practice D6196 . Alternative sampling and analytical approaches for formaldehyde and other carbonyls are described in Test Method D5197 .

Note 1All volatile (vapor-phase) carbonyls except formaldehyde can be analyzed by either Practice D6196 or by Test Method D5197 .

Note 2Direct-reading instruments can also be applied for specific objectives.

Note 3Some volatile inorganic compounds can, in principle, also be analyzed (for example, ammonia).

1.6 An example of an emission cell is described in Appendix X2 of this practice.

1.7 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D1356 Terminology Relating to Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheres

D1914 Practice for Conversion Units and Factors Relating to Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheres

D5116 Guide for Small-Scale Environmental Chamber Determinations of Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products

D5197 Test Method for Determination of Formaldehyde and Other Carbonyl Compounds in Air (Active Sampler Methodology)

D5337 Practice for Flow Rate Adjustment of Personal Sampling Pumps

D6196 Practice for Selection of Sorbents, Sampling, and Thermal Desorption Analysis Procedures for Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

D6330 Practice for Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (Excluding Formaldehyde) Emissions from Wood-Based Panels Using Small Environmental Chambers Under Defined Test Conditions

D6670 Practice for Full-Scale Chamber Determination of Volatile Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products

D7339 Test Method for Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted from Carpet using a Specific Sorbent Tube and Thermal Desorption / Gas Chromatography

Keywords

emissions cells; indoor air quality; indoor materials; indoor products; materials emissions testing; organic emissions; volatile organic compounds; Construction materials; Emission testing; Indoor air analysis; Indoor materials; Volatile organic compounds (VOC);

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 13.040.20 (Ambient atmospheres)

DOI: 10.1520/D7143-11

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM D7143