The quality of indoor air in wooden based buildings and the factors with impact of them

The primary aim of the paper is to characterize the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the indoor air of wood-based buildings in the Krkonoše Mts. region in relation to season, age of the building, air moisture content and engineering composition of building materials. It aims to identify the impact of important factors on the amount and content of VOC emitted into indoor air. The experimental part focuses on the assessment of influence of applied wood-based materials in the wood-based buildings on the quantity and quality of VOC emissions in indoor air. The second aim is to determine the impact of age of a building and the time of VOC measuring on the amount and content of emitted VOC, particularly on the amount of emitted terpenes and aldehydes. VOC emissions were analysed by gas chromatograph Agilent GC 6890 N with a mass spectrometer with cryofocusation, thermal desorption and library of spectra NIS 05.

Resistance of various materials and coatings used in wood constructions to growth of microorganisms

This contribution deals with the resistance of various materials and coatings used in wood constructions to mould growth and in the case of wood and varnishes also to bacterial growth. For testing the resistance to mould growth, the standard EN 14119, method A2 (without agar medium) and method B1 (with agar medium) were used. Tests were performed with Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium funiculosum, Gliocladium virens and Paecilomyces variotii. Resistance to bacterial growth was tested according to the standard JIS Z 2801 with bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Most of materials tested without agar medium were resistant to mould growth. However, the addition of the agar medium (simulation of real conditions; high dampness and presence of nourishment) predictably caused worse results. Cement bonded particleboard, extruded polystyrene and water-borne varnish were very resistant to moulds. Moreover, the water-borne varnish showed a heavy resistance to microbial growth, while a two solvent-borne polyurethane varnish showed no resistance to microorganisms.