Emission rates of substances from low-volatile-organic-compound paints

Globally, sick building syndrome remains a considerable social issue. It is primarily caused by the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from construction materials. Among these, paints and sealers are used over wide swaths of are a and their use causes chemical substances to be released in a room. To prevent sick building syndrome, it is necessary to clarify the cause of air quality changes due to the different types of paints and sealers available. Recently, low-VOC paints (containing 0.3-1.0% VOCs) have been used widely; however, the effects of reducing VOC levels have not yet been fully quantified. This study aims to clarify the chemical compositions by conducting an emission rate test of these low-VOC paints and sealers. We prepared six specimens and used them for chamber testing. Three types of paint with and without a sealer were tested. The minimum and maximum total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentration was 96 and 4750 mu gm(-2)h(-1), respectively. Differences in the VOC content of the paints and sealers could be confirmed. The main TVOC was Texanol((TM)) and glycerol ethers. The results demonstrate that using paints containing less than 0.3% VOCs can decrease the VOC emission rate considerably compared to paints classified as less than 1% VOCs. Moreover, because different kinds of sealers affected the results, it is possible to decrease VOC emission rate using a variety of sealers.