title: A study on dynamic volatile organic compound emission characterization of water-based paints.
abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from surface coatings have caused growing public concern for air quality. Even the low-emitted VOC impact from water-based paints on indoor air quality in urban areas has caused concern. This paper presents experimental data using a mathematical model to simulate dynamic VOC emissions from water-based paints that is based on mass transfer and molecular diffusion theories. A series of field-analogous experiments were carried out to continuously measure the VOCs emitted from two typical water-based paints using a gas chromatography-flame-ionization detector monitor in an artificial wind tunnel system. In the study cases, the mass flux of VOCs emitted from the water-based paints was up to 50 microg/m2sec. It was found that the time needed to completely emit VOCs from water-based paints is just hundreds of seconds. However, the order of magnitude of the VOC emission rate from water-based paints is not lower than that from some dry building materials and solvent-based paints. The experimental data were used to produce a useful semiempirical correlation to estimate the VOC emission rates for water-based paints. This correlation is valid under appropriate conditions as suggested by this work with a statistical deviation of +/- 7.6%. With this correlation, it seems feasible to predict the dynamic emission rates for VOCs during a painting process. This correlation is applicable for assessing the hazardous air pollutant impact on indoor air quality or for environmental risk assessment. Associated with the dynamic VOC emission characterization, the air-exchange rate effect on the VOC emission rates is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering and Management, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. ymchang@nutu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Yu-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wei-Hsing
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wen-Bing
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Shiao-Shing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chang-Tang
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsiao-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ching
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D004058:Diffusion; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds