Emissions from dryer vents during use of fragranced and fragrance-free laundry products

Fragranced laundry products emit a range of volatile organic compounds, including hazardous air pollutants. Exposure to fragranced emissions from laundry products has been associated with adverse health effects such as asthma attacks and migraine headaches. Little is known about volatile emissions from clothes dryer vents and the effectiveness of strategies to reduce concentrations and risks. This study investigates volatile emissions from six residential dryer vents, with a focus on d-limonene. It analyses and compares concentrations of d-limonene during use of fragranced and fragrance-free laundry products, as well as changes in switching from fragranced to fragrance-free products. In households using fragranced laundry detergent, the highest concentration of d-limonene from a dryer vent was 118g/m(3) (mean 33.34g/m(3)). By contrast, in households using only fragrance-free detergent, the highest concentration of d-limonene from a dryer vent was 0.26g/m(3) (mean 0.25g/m(3)). After households using fragranced detergent switched to using fragrance-free detergent, the concentrations of d-limonene in dryer vent emissions were reduced by up to 99.7% (mean 79.1%). This simple strategy of switching to fragrance-free products significantly and almost completely eliminated d-limonene emissions. Results from this study demonstrate that changing from fragranced to fragrance-free products can be a straightforward and effective approach to reduce ambient air pollution and potential health risks

Full-scale testing, modelling and analysis of light-frame structures under lateral loading

Deposited with permission of the author. © 2002 Phillip J. Paevere.The differing needs and expectations of building owners, users and society are driving a change towards a technology-intensive, performance-based approach to the design and evaluation of light-frame structures. A critical underlying assumption of the performance-based philosophy is that performance can be predicted with reasonable accuracy and consistency. Development of improved performance prediction technologies, for light-frame structures, requires a detailed understanding of the structural behaviour of light-frame buildings, as well as the environmental loadings to which they are subjected during their lifetime. Full-scale structural testing in the laboratory, combined with analytical modelling, are essential in obtaining this understanding. This thesis presents the results of experimental and analytical investigations into the performance of light-frame structures under lateral loading. The specific objectives of this research are to:1)develop simple, experimentally validated numerical models of light-Frame structures, which can be used to predict their performance under lateral loads, particularly seismic loads; and 2) collect experimental data suitable for validation of detailed finite-element models of light-frame structures

Indoor volatile organic compounds at an Australian university

This study investigates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at a large Australian university, within locations of campus services, restrooms, renovated offices, a green building, meeting areas, and classrooms. Analysis of 41 VOCs across 20 locations reveals indoor concentrations higher than outdoor concentrations for 97% of all VOC measurements (493 unique comparisons). Hazardous air pollutants (formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xy-lenes) were up to an order of magnitude higher indoors than outdoors, and at the highest combined geometric mean concentrations in classrooms (51.6 mu g/m(3)), renovated offices (42.8 mu g/m(3)), and a green building (23.0 mu g/m(3)). Further, d-limonene, ethanol, hexaldehyde, beta-pinene, and isobutane were up to two orders of magnitude higher indoors than outdoors. The most prevalent VOCs (e.g., ethanol, d-limonene, and formaldehyde) have links with building materials, furnishings, and fragranced consumer products such as air fresheners and cleaning supplies. Highest indoor to outdoor concentration (I/O) ratios of formaldehyde (27), toluene (9), p-xylene (12), and m-xylene (11) were in a green building; highest of benzene (6) in renovated offices; and highest of o-xylene (9) in meeting areas. Results from this study are consistent with findings from similar international studies and suggest that university indoor environments may be important sources of pollutants