Abstract View
Watching Paint Dry: Understanding I/VOC Emissions from Architectural Coatings and their Impact on SOA Formation
Rebecca Tanzer Gruener, Liam D. Dugan, Mark E. Bier, Allen Robinson, ALBERT A. PRESTO, Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract Number: 348
Working Group: Urban Aerosols
Abstract
Volatile chemical products (VCPs) have become an increasingly important source of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Intermediate-Volatile Organic Compounds (IVOCs) emitted into urban environments. These VOCs play a potentially important role in national Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) formation. In this study we conduct headspace and extended emissions tests of paints to quantify the emission factors of I/VOCs over paint’s emission timescale. SOA yield predictions were also calculated. We found that paints are not expected to be a long term emission source of I/VOCs. The majority of all I/VOCs measured are indistinguishable from zero within two days post paint application. We found that on a national scale paints emit 0.51 kg/person per year of I/VOCs. This means that 291g of I/VOCs are emitted per kg of paint used in the U.S. each year. The SOA mass yield from these emissions were calculated to be 4.7% [+/-2%]. Even though the majority of the I/VOC emissions from the paints were VOCs (59%), the majority of the SOA formed from paint emissions (68%) were from the IVOC portion of the paint emissions. Interestingly the I/VOC paint emissions come predominately from Oil-based paints (making up 87% of the SOA formed from paints) and Semi-Gloss Exterior paints (making up the remaining 13% of SOA formed from paints). Both of these paints are primarily used outdoors where theoretically 100% of their I/VOC emissions enter the atmosphere and form SOA. This indicates that in order to best mitigate the SOA formed from paints, care should be taken to minimize the IVOC components of Oil and Semi-Gloss Exterior paints.