Emission characteristics of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from building materials determined using a passive flux sampler and micro-chamber

PLoS One. 2019 Sep 20;14(9):e0222557. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222557. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Emission rates of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from building materials, such as vinyl floorings and wall paper, determined using a passive flux sampler (PFS) were constant over the week-long measurement period. Emission rates for vinyl floorings and wallpaper were linearly correlated to the inverse of diffusion distance, which corresponds to the internal depth of the PFS. Surface-air DEHP concentrations (y0) were estimated as 1.3-2.3 μg/m3 for materials having a boundary layer molecular diffusion rate-limiting step. The partition coefficient (Kmaterial-air) was estimated as 3.3-7.5 × 1010 for these materials. Additionally, emission rates of DEHP from same building materials determined using a micro-chamber were 4.5-6.1 μg/m2/h. Mass transfer coefficients in the micro-chamber (hm) were estimated by comparing the results using the PFS and micro-chamber, and these were 1.1-1.2 × 10-3 and 8.1 × 10-4 m/s for vinyl floorings (smooth surface) and wallpaper (rough surface), respectively. The thickness of boundary layer on the surface of building materials in the micro-chamber were estimated to be 2.5-2.6 and 3.7 mm for vinyl floorings and wallpaper, respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Construction Materials / analysis*
  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate / analysis*
  • Environmental Exposure / analysis
  • Floors and Floorcoverings

Substances

  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate

Grants and funding

This study was funded by a grant entitled “Dermal exposure assessment of phthalate esters in building materials: Development of test method of dermal exposure” (No. 12-27), from the LIXIL JS Foundation. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. MC Evolve Technologies Corporation provided support in the form of salaries for authors MU and HT but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.