Estimation of Coating Materials Contribution to the TVOCs Emissions of Wood Flooring in Indoor Environment

Abstract

Based on the increasing concern about the exposure to volatile organic compounds () from indoor finishing materials, industrial companies are called to meet the growing demand for more sustainable products. Recently, most designers and consumers have more environmental considerations while selecting the finishing materials. These considerations are related to thecontent of the finishing material itself regardless of its coating layers. Nowadays, interior wood coatings are commonly applied to large surfaces (ceilings, walls, floors) and many types of furnishing, leading to a high loading factor (surface-to-volume ratio). These coatings might contribute significantly to theemissions due to repeatedly and periodically use during maintenance, remodeling, and renovation of interior spaces.The aim of this study is to estimate the wood coating materials contribution to theemissions of wood product in the indoor environment to shed light on the importance of comprehensive analysis of wood material with all treatment coatings. So, a small interior space with controlled temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rate was simulated using IA-Quest program to investigate the influence of three wood coating materials; stain, wax, and varnish which were applied to an area of natural hardwood Oak floor. Theemission data resulted from the different coated wood floor was compared withemissions caused by the natural wood floor to find out the coating material contribution inemissions of a wood flooring material.