Improved Method for Measuring and Characterizing Phthalate Emissions from Building Materials and Its Application to Exposure Assessment

Phthalate emission from vinyl floorings was measured in specially designed stainless steel chambers. Phthalate concentrations increased and reached steady state after 2 to 5 days for all experiments. By having a high ratio of emission surface to sorption surface, avoiding mass loss of phthalates onto sampling pathways, and improving air mixing inside the chamber, the time to reach steady state was significantly reduced, compared to previous studies (I to 5 months). An innovative approach was developed to determine y(0), the gas-phase concentration of phthalates in equilibrium with the material phase, which is the key parameter controlling phthalate emissions. Target phthalate material-phase concentration (C-0) and vapor pressure (V-p) were explicitly measured and found to have great influences on the yo value. For low phthalate concentrations in materials, a simple partitioning mechanism may linearly relate y(0) and C-0, but cannot be evoked for high-weight phthalate percentages. In addition, the sorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm of phthalates on stainless steel chamber surfaces were determined experimentally. Independently measured or calculated parameters were used to validate a semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) emission model, with excellent agreement between model predictions and the observed chamber concentrations in gas and stainless steel phases. With the knowledge of y(0) and emission mechanisms, human exposure to phthalates from tested floorings was assessed; the levels were comparable to previous studies. This work developed a rapid, novel method to measure phthalate emissions; emission measurement results can be connected to exposure assessment and help health professionals estimate screening-level exposures associated with SVOCs and conduct risk-based prioritization for SVOC chemicals of concern.