Measuring Respirable Crystalline Silica (Quartz) from Powdery Materials through Sedimentation and X-ray Diffractometry.

When possible, choosing materials with a low quartz content is the most effective and cost-efficient way to prevent the respirable quartz exposure of workers and other end users of powdery products. Therefore, methods are needed to analyze low amounts of quartz from powdery products, such as sand, gravel, plaster, cement, and concrete. To this end, we present a method to analyze respirable dust and quartz from powdered materials, such as construction products. The method includes separation of the respirable dust fraction by liquid sedimentation, followed by gravimetric analysis and determination of the crystalline silica content by X-ray diffractometry. While also aiding in the development of less harmful products, analysis of the quartz concentration of powdery products is statutory in Eu countries, excluding natural products not chemically modified. According to EU Regulation No. 1272/2008, products must be classified if they contain harmful substances in concentrations above 0.1 wt.%, and clauses pertaining to cancerous properties and harmfulness to lungs should be included. Also, mineral producers in the EU recommend that products containing respirable quartz should be labelled based on their quartz concentration, provided the concentration exceeds 1 wt.%. The present method meets these needs. The analysis can be performed in parallel from 50 to 1000 mg (dry weight) of powdery materials. The quantitative limit of determination was 10 µg per sample, corresponding to 0.01 wt.%, and the linear range 0.02-10 wt.% (10-5000 µg quartz per sample, Pearson correlation coefficient 0.99). The accuracy of the method was 82% and the repeatability 11%.

Evaluation and analysis of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde emission of building products in accordance with legal standards: A statistical experimental study.

Building materials have been developed mainly for thermal performance, strength, low energy consumption, and aesthetics. Consequently, large amounts of chemicals have been added to building products, resulting in the release of abundant pollutants that adversely affect human health. In particular, pollutants from the materials used to build modern dwellings can cause sick house syndrome, which leads to health resilience problems and diseases. In this study, more than 100 investigations were conducted annually from 2004 to 2017 by using the 20 L small chamber method to analyze the contents of formaldehyde (HCHO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) released from 2780 building products in total. High emissions were released by some building components with raw materials containing hazardous chemicals. However, since the 2004 enactment of a legal standard for the regulation of emissions of harmful substances in building products, the pollutant emissions have tended to decrease over the years. As a result of the experiment, all 2780 building materials met the legal standard on average. Therefore, legal restrictions on the release of hazardous materials from building products have achieved reductions in pollutant emissions.

The formaldehyde dilemma.

The IARC's 2004 classification of formaldehyde as a human carcinogen has led to intensive discussion on scientific and regulatory levels. In June 2014, the European Union followed and classified formaldehyde as a cause of cancer. This automatically triggers consequences in terms of emission minimization and the health-related assessment of building and consumer products. On the other hand, authorities are demanding and authorizing technologies and products which can release significant quantities of formaldehyde into the atmosphere. In the outdoor environment, this particularly applies to combusting fuels. The formation of formaldehyde through photochemical smog has also been a recognized problem for years. Indoors there are various processes which can contribute to increased formaldehyde concentrations. Overall, legislation faces a dilemma: primary sources are often over-regulated while a lack of consideration of secondary sources negates the regulations' effects.

Isothiazolone emissions from building products.

Adding biocides to dispersion products is a well-known practice to control microbial deterioration. Isothiazolones are among the most commonly used preservatives, in particular a mixture of 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (MIT) and 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (CIT). In recent years, for health reasons, due to its strong sensitizing effect, CIT has been replaced by 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one (BIT). Furthermore, numerous products are now available for interiors containing the fungicidal active substance 2-octyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (OIT). So far nearly nothing is known of the emission behavior of BIT and OIT. An analytical method was developed for these two isothiazolones and interior products containing BIT respectively OIT have been investigated in an emission chamber and in test rooms. The chamber tests revealed maximum concentrations of 6.7 µg OIT/m3, 1.9 µg BIT/m3, and 187 µg MIT/m3. Concentrations obtained in the test rooms were at levels up to 1.4 µg OIT/m3 and 29 µg MIT/m3. A noticeable finding was the very slight subsidence of OIT and BIT levels over several weeks. While MIT outgassed quickly, OIT in particular showed low concentrations, but prolonged evaporation.