Indoor materials/products are products or materials used for construction works or in the indoor environment. The area specific emission rates of volatile organic compounds from an indoor material/product may be used to estimate the expected contribution of emissions from that material/product to the atmosphere of a given indoor environment.

Emission data may also be used to compare and categorize different indoor materials/products of similar function.

Emission cell testing of area specific emissions may alternatively be used for studying secondary interactions (for example, sink effects (absorption and re-emission of volatile organics by the indoor material/product) or emissions generated by chemical degradation of the indoor material/product caused by specific atmospheric agents such as water, ozone or NO_x).

1.1 This practice is intended for determining volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from materials and products using emission cells. It can be applied in principle to most construction materials and many products used indoors. Objectives include:

1.1.1 To provide manufacturers, builders, and end users with emission data useful for evaluating the impact of building products, new or old, on indoor air concentrations in a model room.

1.1.2 To promote the development of products with lower VOC emissions.

1.2 This practice is for identifying emitted VOCs and for determining the area specific emission rate of VOCs from newly produced building products under defined climate conditions. The method can also be applied to aged products.

1.3 In accordance with the definition of an emission cell, it is also possible to perform nondestructive emission measurements on building products on-site in buildings. However, the procedure for such measurements is not described in this standard.

1.4 This practice describes the design, construction, performance evaluation and use of emission cells for VOC emission testing. Sampling, transport and storage of materials to be tested, and preparation of test specimens are also described.

1.5 Air sampling and analytical methods for the determination of VOCs are described in Practice D 6196. Alternative sampling and analytical approaches for formaldehyde and other carbonyls are described in Test Method D 5197.

Note 1—All volatile (vapor-phase) carbonyls except formaldehyde can be analyzed by either Practice D 6196 or by Test Method D 5197.

Note 2—Direct-reading instruments can also be applied for specific objectives.

Note 3—Some volatile inorganic compounds can, in principle, also be analyzed (for example, ammonia).

1.6 An example of an emission cell is described in Appendix X2 of this practice.