Emission rates of substances from low-volatile-organic-compound paints

Globally, sick building syndrome remains a considerable social issue. It is primarily caused by the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from construction materials. Among these, paints and sealers are used over wide swaths of are a and their use causes chemical substances to be released in a room. To prevent sick building syndrome, it is necessary to clarify the cause of air quality changes due to the different types of paints and sealers available. Recently, low-VOC paints (containing 0.3–1.0% VOCs) have been used widely; however, the effects of reducing VOC levels have not yet been fully quantified. This study aims to clarify the chemical compositions by conducting an emission rate test of these low-VOC paints and sealers. We prepared six specimens and used them for chamber testing. Three types of paint with and without a sealer were tested. The minimum and maximum total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentration was 96 and 4750 μgm−2 h−1, respectively. Differences in the VOC content of the paints and sealers could be confirmed. The main TVOC was Texanol™ and glycerol ethers. The results demonstrate that using paints containing less than 0.3% VOCs can decrease the VOC emission rate considerably compared to paints classified as less than 1% VOCs. Moreover, because different kinds of sealers affected the results, it is possible to decrease VOC emission rate using a variety of sealers.