Large Chamber Dynamic Emissions Testing

Transcription

1 Large Chamber Dynamic Emissions Testing Compliance Report Per CHPS & LEED for Schools Lecture Desk, Privacy Panel & Chair Supports Prepared for: 401 American Seating Center Grand Rapids, MI Submitted by: Materials Analytical Services, LLC 3945 Lakefield Court Suwanee, Georgia May 6, 2009 MAS Project No. M48831

2 May 6, 2009 Mr. Rick Magnuson & Mr. Dick Santose American Seating 401 American Seating Center Grand Rapids, MI Phone No.: (616) Subject: Large Chamber Dynamic Emission Testing Compliance Report per CHPS & LEED for Schools Lecture Desk, Privacy Panel and Chair Supports MAS Project No. M48831 Gentlemen: Materials Analytical Services, LLC. (MAS) is pleased to submit this report for emissions testing relative to potential VOC off-gassing from an American Seating Lecture Desk and Privacy Panel with Chair Supports herein referred to as the desk submitted for analysis in April Construction of the subject 2-student desk was tested without optional compliant seating (refer to MAS reports M , 003 and M for that data). This report summarizes our testing procedures and the results of our analytical measurements. This project was conducted in general accordance with the BIFMA M standard test method, which you authorized. Based on our test results, the desk, privacy panel and chair supports submitted meets the CHPS and LEED for Schools performance standards set for desks/workstation to be classified as low-emitting furniture in school environments. As such, end users of the tested desk/workstation are eligible for CHPS EQ credit and LEED for Schools EQ 4 credit under Option 5, Method C. Further, by successful conformance with these standards, the subject desk also meets the criteria of MAS Certified Green. MAS is pleased to have been of service to you. If you have any questions or comments, or if we can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, MATERIALS ANALYTICAL SERVICES, LLC Martin R. Bennett Senior Consultant William R. Stapleton Analytical Chemist MAS LLC - ATLANTA Corporate Headquarters 3945 Lakefield Court Suwanee, GA (770) Fax (770)

3 COMPLIANCE EMISSIONS TEST By BIFMA M Student Desk/Workstation Evaluation MAS Project No: M48831 BACKGROUND & SAMPLE DESCRIPTION On March 31, 2009, American Seating of Grand Rapids, Michigan submitted a Lecture Desk and Privacy Panel with Chair Supports to MAS for emissions testing in accordance with the BIFMA M7.1 Method for student desks/workstations under the CHPS and LEED for Schools programs (refer to photos below). The desk and privacy panel were delivered to our Suwanee, Georgia office by Estes Express Lines via ground service arriving in multiple cardboard boxes and plastic wrapped bundles on wood pallets. In general the workstation arrived largely unassembled. The manufacturer and sample specifics as described in the accompanying chain-of custody are summarized below: Manufacturer: Product Name: Number of Samples: American Seating 401 American Seating Center Grand Rapids, MI Lecture Desk and Privacy Panel with Chair Supports 1 unit - consisting of aprox. 11 pieces (refer to chain-of-custody and shipping list in Appendix A) Manufacture Date: March 30, 2009 Collection Date: March 30, 2009 Shipping Date: March 31, 2009 Laboratory Arrival Date: April 01, 2009 View of Lecture desk and privacy panel assembled in MAS s large emission chamber 2

4 Close-up of laminate top on desk View of backside of privacy panel and steel chair supports SAMPLE HANDLING & TESTING PARAMETERS Upon arrival at the laboratory, the sample was assigned a specific lab ID # for tracking purposes. Identification of the workstation sample and a timeline of milestone dates (relative to sampling and analysis) are summarized below: Lab Assigned ID M Sample Description American Seating Lecture Desk, Privacy Panel and Chair Supports the worksurface consists of a particle board core with a Wilson Art laminate top and a cellulose backing applied to the bottom. The desk feature a vinyl T-mold applied to the perimeter edges. The Privacy panel has a Wilson Art laminate outer surface applied to a flexible plywood base. Chair supports are powder coated steel. Approx. 60 L x 24 W x 27 H In-Chamber Conditioning/Testing Start/Stop Date Duration 04/17/09-04/24/09 7 days In-Chamber VOC and Aldehyde Sampling 72 hrs 168 hrs Tubes Analyzed 04/29/09 Testing was initiated by assembling the submitted desk inside MAS s large (28.3 m 3 ) stainless steel emissions chamber. Specifically the desk was placed in the center of the chamber beneath ceiling mounted fans (to facilitate even air circulation around the sample). 3

5 The operational parameters used for large chamber testing were in general accordance with those specified in the ASTM D standard practice and EPA ETV large chamber test protocol. Off gassed emissions from the subject product were sampled and analyzed in accordance with the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer s Association (BIFMA) M Standard Test Method for Determining VOC Emissions from Office Furniture Systems, Components and Seating. Under the provisions of this method, testing consisted of the following procedural steps: Specific procedures for specimen receiving, handling, and preparation. Storage of test specimens in original shipping containers prior to emissions testing for up to 10 days in a ventilated and conditioned room maintained at a temperature of 23 ± 3 C and a relative humidity of 50% ± 15%. For quality assurance purposes the emission chambers are air purged and the interiors thoroughly cleaned to remove residual compounds prior to all new product tests. In addition, air samples are collected and analyzed from the chamber exhaust prior to loading to establish background levels. Sample placement within MAS s large (1000 ft 3 ) stainless steel emission chamber (interior volume 28.3 m 3 ) and conditioned for 72 hours. Air flow into the chamber is maintained for a minimum of 168 hours at the following specifications: Ventilation Rate = 16.7cfm, temperature = 23 ± 1 C, Relative Humidity = 50 ± 5% RH. Collection of air samples at 72 and 168 hours following sample conditioning. Air samples are collected from the large chamber exhaust port utilizing mass flow controllers calibrated at 200 cc/min for VOCs and 300 cc/min for aldehydes. Tenax TA tubes are used for VOC analysis which is performed by thermal desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) using a modified EPA TO 17 method. For quality assurance purposes all thermal desorption samples are drawn in duplicate and analyzed separately. Samples are also collected on DNPH tubes for aldehyde analysis which is performed using HPLC using a modified NIOSH 2016 method. Instrument calibration, analysis of quality control samples and quantitation of the of the CDPH Standard Practice and BIFMA target list of chemicals of concern, including: o 80 Chemicals identified by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard (OEHHA) with established Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs). A CREL is an airborne concentration level that would pose no significant health risk to individuals indefinitely exposed to that level. CRELs are based solely on health considerations and are developed from the best available data in the scientific literature. o Chemicals listed as: (a) probable or know carcinogens, or (b) reproductive toxicants. o TVOC Total Aldehydes o Formaldehyde 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4-PC) Tentative identification of top 10 individual volatile organic compounds (IVOCs). 4

6 The operational parameters for the large emission chamber utilized for this project included: Parameter Symbol Units Value Chamber Volume V m Loading Factor L m 2 m Air Exchange Rate a h Temperature T ºC 23 Relative Humidity RH % 50 TESTING RESULTS For quality assurance purposes all thermal desorption samples are drawn in duplicate and analyzed separately. The averaged results of the emission tests are summarized on the following pages in accordance with the BIFMA M7.1 guidelines for reporting: Table Ia Concentration of VOCs between n-c 6 and n-c 16 Measured by GC/MS in (µg/m 3 ) VOC Name 72 nd hour 168 th hour #1 #2 Mean % diff. #1 #2 Mean % diff. TVOC Toluene * % % 4-Phenylcyclohexene <1.3 <1.3 <1.3 0% <1.3 <1.3 < % Top 10 IVOCs #1 #2 Mean % diff. #1 #2 Mean % diff. hexanal % % phenol** % % n-hexyl isobutyrate** % % butanoic acid, 2- methylpropyl ester** % % beta-pinene % % 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)- ethanol** 3 < % < % 1-phenoxypropan-2-ol** 2.5 < % < % alpha-pinene % % pinocarvone <1.3 <1.3 < % <1.3 <1.3 < % sabinol <1.3 <1.3 < % <1.3 <1.3 < % *TVOC values are background corrected ** Relative percent difference for these duplicates exceeds 15%. 5

7 Table Ib Concentration of Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde & Total Aldehydes Measured by HPLC in (µg/m 3 ) VOC Name 72 nd hour 168 th hour #1 #2 Mean % diff. #1 #2 Mean % diff. Formaldehyde % % Acetaldehyde % < % Total Aldehydes % % Table II Calculated and Predicted Emission Factors for TVOC Toluene, 4-PC, Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, Total Aldehydes and Top 10 IVOCs in (µg/h/m 2 ) and Power-Law Model Coefficients VOC Name Emission Factor Power-law Model Coefficients for E=a t -b Predicted Emission Factor 72 nd hour 168 th hour a b 336 th hour TVOC Toluene Phenylcyclohexene <38 < <37 Formaldehyde Acetaldehyde Total Aldehydes TOP 10 IVOCs 72 nd hour 168 th hour a B 336 th hour hexanal phenol n-hexyl isobutyrate butanoic acid, 2- methylpropyl ester beta-pinene (2-methoxyethoxy)- ethanol phenoxypropan-2-ol alpha-pinene pinocarvone <38 < <37 sabinol <38 < <37 6

8 Table III Predicted Concentrations in a Typical Classroom Environment Set up with Lecture Desks and Privacy Panels in (µg/m 3 ) VOC Name Based on the Measured Data * 72 nd hour (3 days) 168 th hour (7 days) Based on the Predicted Data* 336 th hour (14 days) TVOC Toluene PC <2.7 <2.7 <2.7 Formaldehyde Acetaldehyde Total Aldehydes Top 10 IVOCs hexanal phenol n-hexyl isobutyrate butanoic acid, 2- methylpropyl ester beta-pinene (2-methoxyethoxy)- ethanol phenoxypropan-2-ol alpha-pinene pinocarvone <2.7 <2.7 <2.7 sabinol <2.7 <2.7 <2.7 *Assuming a 27 student classroom with a volume 230 cubic meters with a ventilated volume fraction of 0.9% (or 90% of the room volume being exchanged) and an airflow rate of 187 m 3 /hr as defined by CHPS Best Practices Manual 2009 for low emitting furniture & furnishings CONCLUSIONS The data obtained from emissions testing of the subject desk as compared to the CHPS and LEED for Schools standard for desks/workstations is presented on the following page in Table IV. 7

9 Table IV Comparison of Measured and Predicted Air Concentrations for use of American Seating Lecture Desks, Privacy Panels and Chair Supports in a Classroom to the CHPS and LEED for Schools Standards for Low Emitting Student Desks/Workstations VOC Name Chamber Measured 7-day Conc. µg/m 3 Airborne Concentration based on the 14-day Predicted Emission Factor in µg/m 3 LEED* for Schools modeling CDPH** Private/Open modeling Office Plans Referenced Emissions Limits for Desks/Workstations LEED for Schools µg/m 3 CHPS ½ Calif. CREL µg/m 3 Compliance Comments (respectively) TVOC Toluene / NA PASS/NA 4-Phenylcyclohexene <1.3 <1.1 / <2.5 NA 6.5 None PASS/NA Formaldehyde ppb / 12 ppb ppb 16.5 PASS/PASS Acetaldehyde ppb / 4.0 ppb 7.8 NA 9 PASS/PASS Total Aldehydes ppb / 24 ppb ppb None PASS/NA hexanal / NA None NA/NA phenol / NA 100 PASS/PASS n-hexyl isobutyrate / NA None A NA/NA butanoic acid, 2- methylpropyl ester / NA None NA/NA beta-pinene / NA None NA/NA 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)- ethanol / NA None NA/NA 1-phenoxypropan-2-ol / NA None NA/NA alpha-pinene / NA None NA/NA pinocarvone <1.3 <1.1 / <2.5 <2.7 NA None NA/NA sabinol <1.3 <1.1 / <2.5 <2.7 NA None NA/NA * - Assuming a ventilation rate of 4.17 L/s (8.84 cfm) for a typical open plan environment or 9.63 L/s (20.4 cfm) for a typical office environment as defined by BIFMA M section 6.5 **- Assumes 27 desks or 13.5 of the tested Lecture Desks and Privacy Panels per classroom environment as specified by the CHPS low emitting furniture and furnishing standard Based on the data obtained during our test, MAS offers the following findings and conclusions: The concentrations of TVOC Toluene, Formaldehyde, Total Aldehydes and 4- Phenylcyclohexene predicted at 14-days for the tested 2-student Lecture Desk, Privacy Panel and Chair Supports are below the LEED for Schools specified emission limits set for desks/workstations in open and private office plans. Of the 80 chemical compounds of interest regulated by the State of California DPH for which Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CREL) have been established by the Cal/EPA OEHHA, only phenol, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde were found to be emitted by this product. The levels of each of these compounds are below the established ½ CREL and REL limits referenced in the Standard Method/Section and CHPS Best Practices Manual III criteria for desks/workstations a standard classroom environment. 8

10 The Lecture Desk, Privacy Panel and Chair Supports manufactured by American Seating and tested in April 2009 is in compliance with the LEED for Schools criteria for a desks/workstations in standard open and private office environments and the CHPS criteria for desks/workstations in a standard classroom. As such, end users of these desks/workstations would are eligible for CHPS EQ credit and LEED for Schools EQ 4 credit under Option 5, Method C. Further, by successful conformance with the LEED standard, the subject desk/workstation also meets the criteria of MAS Certified Green. Note: all data, including but not limited to raw instrument files, calibration fits, and quality control checks used to generate the test results are available to the client upon request. LIMITATIONS This report is intended for the use of American Seating only. If other parties wish to rely on this report, please have them contact us so that a mutual understanding and agreement of the terms and conditions for our services can be established prior to their use of this information. It should be noted that product emissions generally decay over time; as such the representativeness of the analytical data reported is directly dependant upon the age and conditions under which the tested sample was received. All certifications for product emissions testing are valid for a period of 1-year from the date of a MAS issued Emissions Testing Compliance Report. Compliance certifications are strictly limited to only the referenced product tested and/or specific variations and bracketed products explicitly referenced in this report. 9

11 APPENDIX A Chain-of Custody 10

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