Impact of temperature and humidity on chemical and sensory emissions from building materials

The chemical and sensory emissions from five building materials (carpet, po lyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, sealant, floor varnish and wall paint) wer e tested under different combinations of temperature and relative humidity in the ranges 18-28 degrees C and 30-70% relative humidity (RH). The experi ment was performed in a climate chamber where a specially designed test sys tem was built to study emissions from the five materials. The test system c ould provide different temperatures and humidities of air around the materi als, while the air, after being polluted by the emissions from the material s, could be reconditioned to 23 degrees C and 50% RH for sensory assessment s. The experiment was designed to separate the direct impact of temperature and humidity on perception from the impact on sensory emission. The study found little influence of temperature on the emissions from the five materi als whether expressed in chemical or sensory terms. The effect of humidity was found to be significant only for the waterborne materials - floor varni sh and wall paint. Compared with the direct impact of temperature and humid ity on the perception of air quality, the impact of temperature and humidit y on sensory emissions from the building materials has a secondary influenc e on perceived air quality.