VOCs and formaldehyde emissions from cleaning products and air fresheners

Abstract : Human indoor exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) may be associated with the use of household products. However little is known about their emissions and to what extent they contribute to indoor air pollution. The French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Afsset) conducted tests in order to characterize VOCs emissions from 32 consumer products: air fresheners, glass cleaners, furniture polishes, toilet products, carpet and floor cleaning products. All experiments were conducted by the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB) in realistic conditions of use (in emission test chamber or in an experimental house). Results show that the use of consumer products can lead to high indoor VOCs concentrations. Some of them are toxic airborne contaminants. The link between formaldehyde emissions and product compositions is discussed. Finally, formaldehyde concentrations are compared to the indoor air quality guideline value proposed by Afsset