Measurement of VOC emissions from wood remedial treatment: chamber tests and field experiments

The purpose of this study is to document the impact of wood preservative products on indoor air quality. The emissions of two wood remedial treatment products (water-based and petroleum-based solvent formulations) representative of the market were characterized by two laboratories using emission test chambers. For most identified VOC, concentrations sharply decrease with time reflecting the solvent evaporation. VOC emissions from wood remedial treatment were also directly measured in real conditions during a roof renovation work in an old building. A petroleum-based solvent product was used by a professional applicator on the roof trussing. VOC were monitored up to 6 days after treatment. Identified VOC and emission patterns in test chambers and on the field are comparable. Emissions have been modeled and the models used to estimate the necessary time before re-entry in the treated space.