Building materials. VOC emissions, diffusion behaviour and implications from their use

Five cement- and five lime-based building materials were examined in an environmental chamber for their emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Typical VOCs were below detection limits, whereas not routinely analysed VOCs, like neopentyl glycol (NPG), dominated the cement-based products emissions, where, after 72 h, it was found to occur, in levels as high as 1400 μg m−3, accounting for up to 93% of total VOCs. The concentrations of NPG were not considerably changed between the 24 and 72 h of sampling.The permeability of building materials was assessed through experiments with a dual environmental chamber; it was shown that building materials facilitate the diffusion of chemicals through their pores, reaching equilibrium relatively fast (6 h).

► Neopentyl glycol is reported in emissions from building materials for the first time.
► Neopentyl glycol dominates the VOC emissions from cement-based building materials.
► A dual chamber was developed to control diffusion through building materials.
► Building materials facilitate diffusion of indoor air pollutants through their pores.