The FLEC® has been validated and used in research for many years.
Below is a publication list of journal articles, abstracts, poster or oral presentations where the FLEC or CHEMATEC’s other products have been in focus.
If you have anything that can be added to the list, we encourage you to contact CHEMATEC.
2018 |
Wei, Wenjuan; Mandin, Corinne; Ramalho, Olivier Influence of indoor environmental factors on mass transfer parameters and concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds Journal Article In: Chemosphere, vol. 195, pp. 223 - 235, 2018, ISSN: 0045-6535. Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Emission, Mass transfer, Modeling, Partition, SVOCs @article{WEI2018223,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. |
2015 |
Liang, Yirui; Caillot, Olivier; Zhang, Jianshun; Zhu, Jiping; Xu, Ying Large-scale chamber investigation and simulation of phthalate emissions from vinyl flooring Journal Article In: Building and Environment, vol. 89, pp. 141 - 149, 2015, ISSN: 0360-1323. Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Emission, Large-scale chamber, Modeling, Phthalates, Sorption, SVOCs @article{LIANG2015141,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. |
Liang, Yirui; Xu, Ying The influence of surface sorption and air flow rate on phthalate emissions from vinyl flooring: Measurement and modeling Journal Article In: Atmospheric Environment, vol. 103, pp. 147 - 155, 2015, ISSN: 1352-2310. Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Air flow rate, Chamber test, Model, Phthalates, Surface absorption, SVOCs @article{LIANG2015147,This study investigated the influences of surface sorption and air flow rate on the emission of phthalates from building materials. Controlled tests were conducted in specially designed stainless steel and wood chambers, and the steady-state concentration in the stainless steel chamber was about 2–3 times higher than that in the wood chamber for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP). The emission rate of phthalates increased in the wood chamber due to the diffusion mass flow through the chamber wall (i.e., surface absorption). The adsorption isotherm of phthalates on the stainless steel surface and the absorption parameters (i.e., diffusion and partition coefficients) of phthalates on the wood surface were determined experimentally, and the values were comparable to those in the literature. The equilibration time scale for phthalates absorbed to the sink reservoir in actual indoor environments was estimated and can be substantial (approximately 80 years), indicating that surface absorption may continuously drive phthalates from their indoor sources to various sinks and thus significantly increase the emission rate of phthalates. The gas-phase concentration of DEHP was measured in two stainless steel chambers operated at flow rates of 300 mL/min and 3000 mL/min, respectively, which were both adjusted to 1000 mL/min after steady state was reached. The gas-phase concentration of DEHP in the chamber was very sensitive to the chamber air flow rate, and higher air flow rates resulted in lower concentration levels. However, the increased emission rate compensated for the dilution in the gas phase and made the DEHP concentration not drop substantially with an increase in the air flow rate. Independently measured or calculated parameters were used to validate a semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) emission model that included absorptive surfaces and for a range of air flow rates, with excellent agreement between the model predictions and the observed chamber concentrations of phthalates. |