Development of improved methods for the characterisation of organic chemicals emitted into indoor air by building and furnishing products

摘要

A wide range of organic compounds are released from building and furnishing productsand these have the potential to adversely affect indoor air quality. There are growinginternational requirements for testing and controlling these emissions for the protectionof public health. The test methods require specialist analytical chemistry facilities basedon thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD/GC/MS). Thisproject has addressed the need for better performance and greater automation of theanalysis, as well as development of simpler screening tests.A variety of products were tested using screening techniques, with an emission cellmethod being used as a reference test. Short duration tests, using a micro-scale chamberat slightly elevated temperature, were shown to have the potential to predict emissionsoccurring during longer term reference tests.Multi-sorbent air sampling tubes, that have the potential to extend the volatility range ofcompounds determined by a single TD/GC/MS analysis, were compared with Tenax TAtubes specified by current standard methods. This showed no difference in performancefor the range of compounds for which Tenax is optimal, with improved performance fora number of more volatile compounds.The determination of formaldehyde was investigated using 2-hydroxymethylpiperidineas a derivatising agent, followed by TD/GC/MS. The results showed the possibility ofthis method being developed as an alternative to the current standard method thatinvolves solvent elution and liquid chromatography.The performance of a newly developed time-of-flight mass spectrometer was comparedwith a standard quadrupole instrument. This showed its potential, with the use ofre-collection, to extend the concentration range of compounds quantified from a singleair sample, of particular benefit for the determination of carcinogens.New compound identification software was applied to increase automation of analysisof the TD/GC/MS data. Good correlation with manual processing was achieved,demonstrating the possibility of routine application to material emissions testing.