Publications

@article{WEI2018223,

title = {Influence of indoor environmental factors on mass transfer parameters and concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds},

author = {Wenjuan Wei and Corinne Mandin and Olivier Ramalho},

url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653517320428},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.12.072},

issn = {0045-6535},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Chemosphere},

volume = {195},

pages = {223 - 235},

abstract = {Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in indoor environments can partition among the gas phase, airborne particles, settled dust, and available surfaces. The mass transfer parameters of SVOCs, such as the mass transfer coefficient and the partition coefficient, are influenced by indoor environmental factors. Subsequently, indoor SVOC concentrations and thus occupant exposure can vary depending on environmental factors. In this review, the influence of six environmental factors, i.e., indoor temperature, humidity, ventilation, airborne particle concentration, source loading factor, and reactive chemistry, on the mass transfer parameters and indoor concentrations of SVOCs was analyzed and tentatively quantified. The results show that all mass transfer parameters vary depending on environmental factors. These variations are mostly characterized by empirical equations, particularly for humidity. Theoretical calculations of these parameters based on mass transfer mechanisms are available only for the emission of SVOCs from source surfaces when airborne particles are not present. All mass transfer parameters depend on the temperature. Humidity influences the partition of SVOCs among different phases and is associated with phthalate hydrolysis. Ventilation has a combined effect with the airborne particle concentration on SVOC emission and their mass transfer among different phases. Indoor chemical reactions can produce or eliminate SVOCs slowly. To better model the dynamic SVOC concentration indoors, the present review suggests studying the combined effect of environmental factors in real indoor environments. Moreover, interactions between indoor environmental factors and human activities and their influence on SVOC mass transfer processes should be considered.},

keywords = {Emission, Mass transfer, Modeling, Partition, SVOCs},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{LIANG2015141,

title = {Large-scale chamber investigation and simulation of phthalate emissions from vinyl flooring},

author = {Yirui Liang and Olivier Caillot and Jianshun Zhang and Jiping Zhu and Ying Xu},

url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132315000797},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.02.022},

issn = {0360-1323},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-01-01},

journal = {Building and Environment},

volume = {89},

pages = {141 - 149},

abstract = {This study investigated phthalate emissions from vinyl flooring in a large-scale chamber. Vinyl flooring materials were examined for their phthalates content; one with high contents of diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was selected for emissions testing in a small chamber at two different temperatures. Using the same type of vinyl flooring, large-scale chamber experiments were then conducted in three testing phases. In the first phase, the gas-phase concentrations of DINP and DEHP in the large chamber at 36 °C were about three times lower than those in the small chamber under the same temperature, which is consistent with its lower area/volume ratio. In the second phase, when a large air mixing fan inside the chamber was replaced with a small fan, the gas-phase concentrations of DINP and DEHP in the large chamber were reduced slightly, due to the decease of mass transfer coefficient and emission rate. During the last phase, when the temperature of the chamber was reduced to 25 °C, phthalate concentrations dropped instantly and steeply due to the significantly reduced emissions. However, they did not decrease as quickly thereafter because of desorption of phthalates from the internal surfaces of the large chamber. A fundamental mechanistic model was developed to interpret the experimental results in the large chamber based on the emission characteristics obtained in the small chamber measurements. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the model calculation and experimental data. Further model simulations show that temperature and air mixing above the source material have important effects on the fate of phthalates, while the impact of air change rate (ACH) is not significant.},

keywords = {Emission, Large-scale chamber, Modeling, Phthalates, Sorption, SVOCs},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}