Behavior of VOCs and Carbonyl Compounds Emission from Different Types of Wallpapers in Korea

Abstract

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbonyls from three types of commercially available wallpapers (i.e., PVC-coated, paper-backed, natural material-coated) in Korea were evaluated using a 20 L small chamber. A total of 332 products were tested for emission factors, frequencies of occurrence and composition ratios. Toluene and formaldehyde concentrations were below Korean standard values for all products; however, the total VOC (TVOC) concentrations exceeded current standards (4.0 mg/m2·h) for 30 products. The TVOC emission factor for PVC-coated wallpapers, for which polymer materials are used in the manufacturing process, was seven and 16 times higher than those of paper-backed and natural material-coated wallpapers, respectively. The detection frequencies for toluene and formaldehyde were the highest (82.5%) and fourth highest (79.5%), respectively among the 50 target chemical species. The composition ratios for BTEX ranged from 0.3% to 5.1% and unidentified VOCs, which were not qualitatively analyzed using standard gas methods, ranged from 90.2% to 94.8%. Among six carbonyl compounds (acrolein was not detected in any type of wallpaper), acetone had the highest concentrations in PVC-coated (44.6%) and paper-backed (66.6%) wallpapers. Formaldehyde emissions were highest (64.6%) for natural material-coated wallpapers, a result of the formaldehyde-based resin used in the manufacturing process for these products.

Effects of Indoor Air Pollutants on Atopic Dermatitis

“…In general, eco-friendly wallpaper contains less PVC and includes materials that are paper-backed or simply coated with natural material. One study reported that TVOCs and formaldehyde were less likely to be emitted from the paper-backed materials than materials coated with natural substances [14]. This difference between our finding and Yoo’s findings is probably because we used kenaf as the eco-friendly material, whereas Yoo et al used PP (polypropylene) resin.…”

“…The old wallpaper was removed before the new one was installed. We used two kinds of wallpaper: EF wallpaper, which is manufactured using plant material such as kenaf, and PVC-coated wallpaper [14]. The PVC wallpaper looked similar to the EF wallpaper regarding color and texture selection.…”

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from a Personal Care Polymer-Based Item: Simulation of the Inhalation Exposure Scenario Indoors under Actual Conditions of Use

“…Naphthalene is, indeed, primarily used as a chemical intermediate for phthalic anhydride and naphthalene sulphonate production, both involved in the industry manufacture of plasticizers, dyes and rubber formulations. Moreover, according to the existing literature, aromatic hydrocarbon release from polymeric materials (PVC, polyester) used as covering for interior materials such as wallpapers and flooring materials as well as polymeric items such as children toys may be mainly explained by taking into account the use of specific solvents in the manufacturing process such as toluene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene and potential related impurities [4,19,29]. Estimated VOC emission rates from the investigated items on 'heating mode' are listed in Table 3.…”

Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Dispersion and Cementitious Waterproofing Products

“…Some building materials are high VOC emitters, such as solvent paints and adhesives and the coatings and coverings on walls, ceilings and floors [26,27]. Paints which are widely used in residential indoor environmental might contribute significantly to poor IAQ, especially as they are applied to large surfaces.…”