APPLICATION OF THE FIELD AND LABORATORY EMISSION CELL FLEC - PERFORMANCE STUDY, INTERCOMPARISON STUDY, AND CASE-STUDY OF DAMAGED LINOLEUM IN AN OFFICE

The Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) has been tested and eval uated for qualitative and quantitative emission testing of volatile or ganic compounds (VOCs) from building products. An air supply control u nit has been developed and its performance is re-ported in the range o f 100 to 500 ml/min airflows. The recovery in the FLEC has been tested with a new performance test Kit with dodecane and 2-ethylhexanol, res pectively. Additionally five VOCs emitted from a liquid floor wax were measured in the FLEC and in a small climate chamber. The first order rate constants (k(1)) and the initial emission rates (R(0)) obtained f rom the time versus concentration data measured over 24 hours proved t o be comparable. The application of FLEC in a complaint case of malodo rous linoleum in an office building showed that artificial wetting of the linoleum had a marked influence on the qualitative offgassing of o dorous VOCs such as fatty acids, glycol ethers, and 2-decenal.