Biocide emissions from water-based wall paints - Part 1: Emission of isothiazolinones

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from waterbased wall paint s is well known, but there is a lack of information about the amount of bio cides emitted from recently painted surfaces. The emission of biocides typi cally used for the "in can" protection of such paints against fungal growth , 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (MIT) and 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin- 3-one (CIT), was investigated. For 24 paints, emission cell experiments wer e conducted to determine area specific emission rates (SERa). MIT and CIT S ERa of up to 110 and 580 mug/m(2)h, respectively, were obtained after I day , and of up to 18 and 30 mug/m(2)h, respectively, after 7 days. In parallel to these emission cell tests field determinations of MIT and CIT were carr ied out following application of three different paints to the walls and ce ilings of four rooms, i.e. one test room, one room in a private pat and two office rooms. Concentrations between < 0.12 <mu>g/m(3) (limit of quantific ation; LOQ) and 5 mug/m(3) and between 15 and 85 mug/m(3) were obtained aft er I day for MIT and CIT, respectively. After 7 days concentrations amounte d to < 0.12 and < 0.05 to 16 mug/m(3), respectively.