Isothiazolone emissions from building products.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Indoor Air Quality
• Material Science

Background:

• Biocides, particularly isothiazolones like MIT, CIT, BIT, and OIT, are crucial for preserving dispersion products.
• Concerns over the sensitizing effects of CIT have led to its replacement by BIT in many formulations.
• OIT is increasingly used as a fungicidal agent in interior products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an analytical method for quantifying BIT and OIT emissions.
• To investigate the emission behavior of BIT and OIT from interior products.
• To compare the emission characteristics of BIT and OIT with MIT.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel analytical method for detecting BIT and OIT.
• Emission testing of interior products containing BIT and OIT in controlled emission chambers.
• Monitoring of emission levels in realistic test room environments.

Main Results:

• Emission chamber tests detected maximum concentrations of 6.7 μg OIT/m3, 1.9 μg BIT/m3, and 187 μg MIT/m3.
• Test room measurements reached up to 1.4 μg OIT/m3 and 29 μg MIT/m3.
• OIT and BIT demonstrated significantly slower emission rates and prolonged evaporation compared to MIT, with levels decreasing only slightly over weeks.

Conclusions:

• BIT and OIT exhibit distinct emission behaviors compared to MIT, characterized by slow and sustained release.
• The prolonged evaporation of OIT and BIT suggests potential for long-term presence in indoor environments.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of OIT and BIT emissions on indoor air quality and human health.