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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Prefabricated timber buildings offer a low-carbon approach that can help reduce the environmental impact of the building and construction sectors. However, construction materials such as manufactured timber products can emit a range volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are potentially hazardous to human health. We evaluated 24 years (2000–2024) of peer-reviewed publications of VOCs within prefabricated timber buildings. Studies detected hazardous air pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and acetaldehyde (indoor concentration ranges of 3.4–94.9 µg/m3, 1.2–19 µg/m3, 0.97–28 µg/m3, and 0.75–352 µg/m3, respectively), with benzene concentrations potentially exceeding World Health Organization indoor air quality guidelines for long/short term exposure. Most studies also detected terpenes (range of 1.8–232 µg/m3). The highest concentrations of formaldehyde and terpenes were in a prefabricated house, and the highest of benzene and toluene were in a prefabricated office building. Paradoxically, the features of prefabricated buildings that make them attractive for sustainability, such as incorporation of manufactured timber products, increased building air tightness, and rapid construction times, make them more prone to indoor air quality problems. Source reduction strategies, such as the use of low-VOC materials and emission barriers, were found to substantially reduce levels of certain indoor pollutants, including formaldehyde. Increasing building ventilation rate during occupancy is also an effective strategy for reducing indoor VOC concentrations, although with the repercussion of increased energy use. Overall, the review revealed a wide range of indoor VOC concentrations, with formaldehyde levels approaching and benzene concentrations potentially exceeding WHO indoor air quality guidelines. The paucity of evidence on indoor air quality in prefabricated timber buildings is notable given the growth in the sector, and points to the need for further evaluation to assess potential health impacts.

Details

Title
Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds in Prefabricated Timber Buildings—Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainability
Author
Goodman, Nigel 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rajagopalan, Priyadarsini 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Francis, Matthew 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Nematollahi, Neda 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Vardoulakis, Sotiris 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Steinemann, Anne 6 

 Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) Global Research Centre, Health Research Institute, The University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia; [email protected]; Sustainable Building Innovation Lab., School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; [email protected] (P.R.); [email protected] (M.F.); Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia; Post Carbon Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia 
 Sustainable Building Innovation Lab., School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; [email protected] (P.R.); [email protected] (M.F.); Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia; Post Carbon Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia 
 Sustainable Building Innovation Lab., School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; [email protected] (P.R.); [email protected] (M.F.); Post Carbon Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia 
 Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; [email protected] (N.N.); [email protected] (A.S.) 
 Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) Global Research Centre, Health Research Institute, The University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia; [email protected]; Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia 
 Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; [email protected] (N.N.); [email protected] (A.S.); College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia 
First page
3858
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20755309
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3149558645
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.