Evaluation of the seasonal variation of VOC surface emissions and indoor air concentrations in a public building with bio-based insulation

Abstract

The use of bio-based insulation materials is widely spreading in buildings. Due to their organic load, they can be an important source of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This study is among the first that evaluates the spatial and seasonal in-field VOC surface emissions from bio-based and conventional building structures as a whole, in a French public building insulated with wood wool. In addition to surface emissions, measurements of VOC concentrations in indoor air were taken. Results showed that a spatial difference (up to 5 times) in VOC emissions was observed due to the inhomogeneity of the surface. Moreover, the cardinal orientation of building structures with the same constitution induced a difference (up to a factor 30) in emission rates due to the exposure to different hygrothermal conditions. The variation in temperature and relative humidity between seasons led to higher summer VOC emissions and indoor air concentrations. In addition, indoor VOC concentrations were shown to be higher at night compared to daytime due to the decreased ventilation rate. Furthermore, an interesting approach was developed in this study to have a primary overview of the impact of surface emissions on indoor VOC levels. Results confirmed that the three bio-based walls have no significant specific VOC emissions at high rates compared to the floor and the ceiling. Bio-based insulations showed no impact on microbial indoor air concentrations during the two seasons. Moreover, no detected VOCs could be attributed to microbial development as they were also emitted from building materials.