An emissions barrier can be used to stop the spread of harmful emissions from building into the indoor air

Unsatisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) may be due to the spread of chemical or biological compounds from building into the indoor air. One way to avoid the problem is to attach an emissions barrier indoors onto the surfaces from which the emissions are being spread (floor, walls, ceiling). Here we report on the use of the surface emissions trap (cTrap), an emissions barrier developed at Lund University Sweden. Our studies included chlorophenols/chloroanisoles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from treated wood, and volatile organic compounds (VOC), including 2-ethylhexanol, from PVC flooring and glue used to paste plastic floorings onto a concrete slab. Applying the emissions barrier at the surfaces resulted in a measurable decrease of indoor air concentrations of the pollutants and a fresh and odour-free perceived indoor air.