Environmental Technology Verification and Indoor Air

Deborah L. Franke, David S. Ensor
Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Leslie E. Sparks
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division, National Risk Management Research Laboratory,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

ABSTRACT
The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has responsibility for a pilot  program for  indoor air
products as  part of the  U.S.  Environmental Protection  Agency's  (EPA's)  Environmental
Technology Verification  Program (ETV). The program objective is to  further the development
of self-supporting private testing/certification programs for indoor air  products by:  convening
stakeholder groups, developing and verifying test protocols, and providing quality and technical
support as needed  during  privatization.  Low  emitting products that  prevent pollution and
products that remove indoor contaminants were the first two areas of emphasis.

Protocols were developed to test a) chemical emissions from commercial furniture and
b)  particle-size-dependent  removal  efficiency  of general ventilation  filters.  Stakeholders
provided input and review for both protocols; then protocol verification tests were performed in
multiple laboratories. Final protocols and test results were issued in September 1999. Currently,
the Business and Institutional  Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA International,  a
trade association for commercial furniture manufacturers and  a  major ETV  stakeholder) is
developing an industry-wide testing  program  using the protocol. For  general ventilation air
filters, the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) has committed to- develop an industry-
wide testing program. Through the  ETV program, RTI  is providing technical and  quality
management support to BIFMA and NAFA as they develop their testing programs.

INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ending the fifth year of a 5-year pilot  for the
Environmental Technology Verification Program (ETV). ETV was designed to accelerate the
development and commercialization of improved environmental technology through third party
verification  and  reporting of performance. The goal of ETV  is to verify the  performance
characteristics of commercial-ready environmental technologies through the generation and
evaluation of objective and quality-assured data so that potential purchasers and permitters are
provided with an independent and credible assessment of the technology that they are buying or
permitting.

The program has 12 pilots covering a broad range of environmental areas. In these pilots, EPA
collaborates with partner "verification organizations" to design efficient processes for conducting
performance tests of innovative technologies. EPA has selected its partners from both the public
and private sectors including Federal laboratories, states, industry consortia, and private sector
facilities. Verification organizations oversee and report verification activities based on testing
and  quality assurance protocols developed with input from all  major stakeholder/customer
groups associated with the technology area.

The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) is the partner for the indoor air quality ETV. The pilot
began with a general  meeting for industry and other interested organizations in December 1996.

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The final documents for the first two programs were issued in September 1999. Currently, we are
providing technical  and quality  support  for  private testing programs using the protocols
developed under the ETV program.

RTI identified three general types of indoor air products suitable for verification:

1.  Products with low emissions that support pollution prevention. These include products that,
    when installed in the indoor space, have low emission rates over the life of the product. Also
    included are products capable  of reducing susceptibility of items to microbial growth, thus
    helping to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This program examines pollution
    prevention related only to product use in the indoor environment and not to manufacturing or
    disposal of the product.

2.  Products that remove contaminants. These  include filters, absorbers, and  air cleaners that
    directly remove  airborne particles  and  gases. They may  also  include surface cleaning
    products that would improve IEQ through a cleaner environment.

3.  IEQ instrumentation. Two general  applications  are portable  instruments  used to  support
    indoor air investigations  and  instruments  used  to provide inputs to the  controller of a
    ventilation system.

Protocols  have  been developed  within  the first two  types: a)  chemical  emissions from
commercial furniture and b) particle-size-dependent removal efficiency of general ventilation
filters. This paper discusses the stakeholder groups, test protocols, protocol verification tests and
results, quality management, and outreach from these programs.

STAKEHOLDERS
The stakeholders were very important to the success of the program. They attended meetings and
provided input  and review for the test protocols and reports. The stakeholder process was
advisory only; therefore, we solicited broad participation from all groups. When the commercial
furniture group recognized that no architects  or  interior designers  had attended stakeholder
meetings, the EPA pilot held a special meeting to gather input from them.

The trade associations provided a link to their members who were not able to  attend the
meetings.  They also provided detailed descriptions of their  products plus  information on
selection, shipping, handling, and retesting. For both furniture and filters, trade associations were
planning their own testing programs concurrently with the ETV effort. The ETV test protocols
are now in the  public domain and, therefore, available for private use. The final furniture test
protocol1 is being used for EPA procurement and, with modifications, by the State of California.

For the commercial furniture program,  54 people attended one or more of the six stakeholder
meetings we held. They represented:

•   10 manufacturing companies,                  »  2 federal government agencies (EPA and
•   3 trade associations                             General Services Administration), and
•   5 test laboratories,                           *  the American Lung Association.
•   1 state (California),

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For the general ventilation filter program, 95 people attended one or more of the 5 stakeholder
meetings. They represented:
•  34 manufacturers,
•  3 trade or professional associations,
•  5 test laboratories,
•  1 state (California),
2 federal government agencies (EPA and
Federal Trade Commission),
1 university,
American Lung Association, and
2 other individuals.
The stakeholder role shifted as the ETV protocols were verified and ETV became a stakeholder
in the private testing program organizational efforts.

COMMERCIAL FURNITURE
Commercial furniture would  not at  first glance appear to be a candidate for a verification
program.  However, many office buildings today  are  series of  large open  rooms  full of
workstations or cubicles where furniture appears to dominate the landscape. In 1989, the State of
Washington2 required emissions testing for all products to be used in  a state office building being
built in Olympia. Later, EPA3  also required emissions testing for office furniture for their new
buildings. While there is now 10 years of testing, the results are neither publicly available, nor
has there been one accepted test protocol.

During the 1990s, the industry changed manufacturing practices to reduce the level of hazardous
air pollutants, including formaldehyde, used in their factories. Many of the companies who took
part in  the  ETV  stakeholder  group discuss environmental  issues  on  their  web  sites4.
Manufacturing process changes that lowered emissions of the resulting products include:
•   Replacing  volatile  organic compound (VOC)-based adhesives with hot melt adhesives,
    water-based adhesives, etc.
•   Replacing VOC-based paints with powder coatings and high solids/high transfer efficiency
    paints.
•   Replacing urea-formaldehyde adhesives with water-based adhesives.
•   Replacing VOC-based solvents (for cleaning) with VOC-free cleaners, including water.
•   Replacing  VOC-based  stains and topcoats with water-based  ones and with high-solid
    products. Ultraviolet (UV) curing is used for some products.
•   Using particleboard that meets U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
    requirements for formaldehyde (0.3 ppm)5.
The industry has also addressed other environmental issues, including eliminating the use of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), using recycled materials, improving water pollution control, and
good management of hazardous and solid wastes4.

As  more government and private procurements require emissions test results, the industry saw
the value of one standardized testing program that would be  accepted by all potential buyers. The
ETV process,  with stakeholders from manufacturers and  buyers, provided a good venue for
developing a widely accepted test protocol. BIFMA International and the companies it represents
agreed to participate with the view of establishing their own testing program, based on the ETV
protocol. Since 1997, the Furniture Emissions Standard (FES)  Subcommittee  of the BIFMA
Engineering Standards Committee has been working  to establish a voluntary American National

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Standards Institute (ANSI)/BIFMA standard. The FES subcommittee has worked closely with
the ETV. Their initial testing of workstations is scheduled for mid-2000, followed by a draft
standard sent out for public comment in accordance with the ANSI review process.

The ETV protocol verification testing was conducted in October 1998., Tests were performed in
chambers at RTI and Air Quality Sciences (AQS), Marietta, GA.  Enviro-Test Laboratories
(Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) also took part in the analysis. Four identical chairs were ordered
through a vendor in Raleigh, NC.  The  vendor worked with the manufacturer to ensure that all
four chairs were manufactured on the same  day.  The chairs were desk chairs with arms,
composed primarily of steel and plastic with nylon fabric. Two chairs were shipped to RTI and
two to AQS. Standard shipping procedures were used.  Acquisition, packaging, and shipping
followed procedures specified by BIFMA and included as an appendix of the draft test protocol.
Since then, BIFMA has updated the information to be included in their FES; thus the appendix is
not included in the final version of the protocol, but can be found in the furniture verification
protocol report6,

The test used the measurement of emissions  of aldehydes and VOCs from  products under
conditions designed to simulate product use in the indoor environment. Formaldehyde and total
volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were measured in addition to a range of other  aldehydes
and individual VOCs. Emissions levels were determined by placing the test objects  in a large
environmental test chamber under  specified  test conditions,  then measuring  chamber  air
concentrations of aldehydes and VOCs at selected time intervals. Product-specific emission
factors were calculated from the chamber air measurements.

Aldehydes in chamber air samples were collected on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-coated
silica  gel cartridges. The DNPH-aldehyde derivatives  on the cartridges were  eluted with
aeetonitrile then  analyzed  by  high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)  with  UV
detection. The general procedures outlined in EPA Methods TO-11 and IP-6A were followed7'8.

VOCs in chamber air samples  were collected on sorbent cartridges.  VOCs  trapped on the
cartridges were thermally desorbed then analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
(GC/MS). Results of these analyses  were used to estimate both individual  and TVOC
concentrations in chamber air samples. General procedures for the use of sorbent  cartridges
outlined in EPA Methods TO-1, TO-17, and IP-IB were followed7'8.

Table 1 lists the VOCs and aldehydes included in the survey. Any additional compounds seen at
high levels were also to be reported. The response factor of toluene was used to estimate mass
concentration of individual VOCs and the TVOC mass. Emissions were sampled as specified in
the test protocol: aldehydes and VOCs at time 0, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 168 hours. They were
collected with each laboratory using its own cartridges. Environmental conditions (temperature,
relative humidity, and airflow) were monitored throughout the experiment as specified in the
protocol.

The highest formaldehyde emission concentration for two chairs was 4.6 ug/m3. This was below
the program minimum detection level (MDL) of 6.3 ug/m3 specified in the protocol, thus all of
the values should be reported as zeros and no further analysis performed. They were reported for
completeness since individual laboratories  had lower quantitation levels and reported  values
above their own thresholds. An irritation threshold for formaldehyde has been estimated at 150
    3, based on using 0.03 XRD5o9. The same reference gives the odor threshold as 1100  ug/m3.

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Thus, the values found were significantly less than irritation or odor rates.  Table 2 gives the
emission factors found for aldehydes as milligrams/chair per hour.

         Table 1. Potential VOC and Aldehyde Emissions from Office Furniture2'1'
                 1-Butanol
                 1,1,1 -Trichloroethane
                 1,2,3-Trimethylcyciohexane
                 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
                 2-Butanone
                 2-Butoxythanol
                 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol
                 2-Methylhexane
                 2-Methylpropanol
                 3-Methyldecane
                 3-Methylhexane
                 3,7-Dimethyl-1-octano!
                 4-EthyItoluene
                 Acetaldehyde6
                 Acetic acid
                 Acetone
                 Butanal0
                 Butyl acetate
                 Cyclohexanone
                 Decanal
Decane
Dimethylethanolamine
Dodecane
Ethanol
Formaldehyde0
Hexanalc
Hexane
Limonene
Methanol
Naphthalene
Nonanaj
Pentanal
Phenol
Pinene
Propyl benzene
Styrene
Toluene
Undecane
Xylenes
a Compounds appearing in >50% of test data from earlier tests.
b Source of information: Marilyn Black of Air Quality Sciences, based on furniture industry
 testing.
0 Included in list for DNPH method for aldehydes.
                 Table 2. Aldehyde Emission Factors (mg/chair per hour)
Time Point Formaldehyde
(hours) Chamber A
0
4
4 (duplicate)
8
8 (duplicate)
24
48
72
96
168
BQLa
0.028
0.03
0.042
0.026
0.025
0.02 ,
BQLa
0.02
BQLa
Formaldehyde
Chamber B
0
0.013
_b
0.014
_b
0.011
0.007
0.007
0.008
0.008
Acetaldehyde
Chamber A
0.32
0.34
0.32
0.34
0.33
0.33
0.26
0.32
0.34
0.34
Hexanal
Chamber A
0.022
0.032
0.026
0.069
0.047
0.03
0.07
0.031
0.02
0.065
a SQL - below quantitation limit of 1.6 jig/m (chamber air concentration),
b No measurement taken, based on sampling protocol.

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For VOCs, all laboratories reported TVOCs and uiidecane from both chambers as shown in
Tables 3  and 4.  More extensive results  are given in the verification report6. Note that all
emissions were very small and any differences represent large percentages of the values. The
protocol MDLs are 2 mg/m3 for toluene, «-deeane, cyclohexane, and 1-hexanoL No MDL was
given for  undecane.  The highest chamber concentration of undecane was 0.2 mg/m3 for two
chairs. Therefore, although the values given in Tables 3 and 4 are  above the detection or
quantitation levels for the individual laboratories, they are below the project MDL, assuming that
the MDL  for undecane would be similar to the other values. Other individual VOCs were at
lower levels or not reported over a wide range of times in both chambers; fiill information is
provided in the appendices to the protocol verification report.

                  Table 3, TVOC Emission Factors (rag/chair per hour)
Time Point
(hours)
0
4
8
24
48
72
96
168
Chamber A
Labi
0.14
1.55
1.50
1.01
0.89
0.58
0.49
0.25
Chamber A
Lab 2
0.04
0.72
b
0.34
b
0.13
_b
b
• Chamber A
Lab 3
0
1.03
_b
0.57
b
_b
b
• _ b
Chamber B
Labi
NDa
138
b
0.27
b
0.41
b
_ b
Chamber B
Lab 2
NO8
0,41
0,36
0,19
0.15
0.19
0.16
0.17
aND-Not detected.
b
 No measurement taken, based on sampling protocol.


                Table 4. Undecane Emissions Factor (mg/chair per hour)
Time Point
(hours)
0
4
8
24
48
72
96
168
Chamber A
Labi
NDa
0.31
0.31
0.22
0.14
0.10
0.07
0.04
Chamber A
Lab 2
NDa
0.21
b
0.13
b
0.06
b
_b
Chamber A
Lab3
NDa
0.23
_b
0.14
_b
0.08
_to
_b
Chamber B
Labi
N0a
0.21
b
0.06
_b
0.05
_b
_b
Chamber B
Lab 2
NDa
0.11
0.10
0.06
0.04
0.05
0.04
0.03
a ND - not detected.
b
 No measurement taken, based on sampling protocol

ETV believed that using steel chairs with very low emissions was a rigorous verification of the
test protocol. The large chambers to be used in this study had also been used in an earlier round-
robin test of an office copier10. During that earlier work, the chambers were characterized using
standard sources; this was not repeated for the ETV tests.

We learned from the protocol verification  testing that an experienced laboratory should be able
to use the protocol with confidence, A third laboratory has brought a new chamber on line to also
test furniture using the protocol. RTI will assess this chamber in the summer of 2000.

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GENERAL VENTILATION FILTERS
With EPA funding, RTI developed an air cleaner/filter test method that can generate particle-
size-dependent efficiency data used to determine the ability of air cleaners/filters to reduce fine
particle concentrations11. Here  fine particles  are those particles that are less than 10 (j,m in
aerodynamic diameter. RTI developed special test rigs for this testing12. RTI currently tests
filters based on The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) Standard 52.2 Method of Testing  General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for
Removal Efficiency by Particle Size13.

ASHRAE 52.2 is a standardized laboratory test method for measuring the filtration efficiency of
ventilation air filters  used in residential and commercial buildings. This includes residential
furnace filters, pleated panel filters common in commercial applications, and high capacity bag
filters. Prior methods (e.g., ASHRAE 52.114) were designed to evaluate filters for their ability to
protect heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment from dust and to prevent
stains on  air diffusers, ceilings, and walls. These tests were  not aimed at evaluating a filter
relative to its ability to filter respirable size particles.

The ASHRAE 52.2 test is performed by placing the filter, typically having face dimensions of 61
x 61 cm in a test duct. The airflow in the duct is set at a constant value depending upon filter
type. A test aerosol is then injected upstream of the filter while a particle counter is used to count
the number of particles upstream and downstream of the filter in 12 size ranges from 0.3 to
10 jam in diameter. The ratio  of the downstream counts to  the upstream  counts  is used to
compute the filtration efficiency for each of the 12 channels. Based on  the filtration efficiency
results and final pressure drop of the filter, the filter receives a Minimum Efficiency Reporting
Value (MERV). One aspect of the ASHRAE 52.2 method that differs from prior standards is the
incorporation of a "conditioning" step. Traditionally, a filter's efficiency was measured in its
clean condition and after dust loading to  25, 50, 75, and 100% of final resistance (as in the
ASHRAE 52.1 standard). The conditioning step is an added procedure that comes between the
initial efficiency measurement and the 25% dust-loading step. An earlier paper15 discussed RTI
studies on the conditioning step.

Although the RTI16 and ASHRAE 52.2 methods are very similar, there are key differences in the
system qualification tests, the conditioning step, and the data reduction.
1.  Eight tests are required for system  qualification under the RTI test method.  These tests
   include air flow uniformity, aerosol concentration uniformity, downstream mixing, aerosol
   generator response time, upper concentration limit, 100%  efficiency, correlation ratio, and
   duct leakage. These tests are a subset of the qualification tests specified in ASHRAE 52.2.
2.  The conditioning  step determines  the  minimum efficiency curve  of the filter.  Such
   conditioning initially decreases the efficiency of electrostatically charged filters by removing
   the charge without building up a dust cake; this attempts to model behavior in a real system.
   The conditioning aerosol is generated by a three-nozzle twelve-jet Laskin nozzle for 8 hours.
   This  produces a  challenge particle  concentration of 120,000  particles/cm3.  Very  fine
   particles, with diameters < 1 urn of solid-phase potassium chloride, are generated from a 1%
   aqueous solution.  This differs from the ASHRAE  52.2  conditioning  step, which uses
   standard ASHRAE dust as the conditioning aerosol.
3.  In the RTI method, the penetration associated with a particle-sizing channel is calculated as
   the ratio  of  downstream  concentration  to upstream concentration, corrected  for the

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    background concentration values and the correlation ratio. This data reduction method differs
    from that in ASHRAE 52.2.

A notice in  the  Commerce  Business Daily   (CBD) solicited participation from independent
laboratories able to meet the proficiency standards set by RTI. Three laboratories agreed to
participate. As outlined in the CBD  announcement, laboratories were required to  have the
necessary equipment and analytical capability, a quality management system in place, and an
understanding of quality assurance and control. Prior to testing, each laboratory was required to
submit the results of its system qualification tests  as well as a quality assurance project plan
(QAPP). The participating  laboratories were: Intertek  Testing Services, Cortland, NY;  NSF
International, Ann Arbor, MI, and RTI. Three types of filters were chosen for the testing. The
purpose of the testing was to determine if the method was repeatable between laboratories and
whether  the results were reproducible with  different filter types within a laboratory.  All three
laboratories tested  electrostatically charged filters.  Because of schedule constraints,  only one
laboratory tested  high and medium efficiency filters.
On-site quality assurance audits were performed at  the laboratories. EPA audited RTI and RTI
audited the other two laboratories. The purpose of  the on-site audits was two-fold: to evaluate
and improve audit tools developed  under this pilot  program, and to document the laboratories'
quality systems with respect to the testing of air filters. A basic checklist was developed from the
test method and then tailored for each site visit using the laboratory's own QAPP. RTI later
updated both the checklists and the test protocol based on the results of the audits.
100 -I

 90 -

 80 -

 70 -

 60 -

 50 -
     1  40 4
        30 -

        20

        10 -I
                    Figure 1. Efficiencies of Medium Efficiency Filter # 3
                                  Tested by Laboratory 1
             —•—Initial
             —D— Conditioned
             —»—25% loading
             —0— 50% loading
             —*— 75% loading
             —£r-100% loading
         0
          0.10
                                     1.00
                              Particle Diameter (fiin)
10.00
The verification report provides  a  complete  discussion  of the  results18. Representative
information is provided here. Figure 1 gives full information for one filter (medium efficiency
filter #3) tested at one laboratory (# 1). This profile is typical of regular filters where efficiency
increases as the level of dust loading increases.  Figure 2 compares, for all three laboratories, the

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average initial efficiencies for the electrostatically charged filters. The agreement between the
three laboratories is quite good.

Currently, NAFA is developing their testing program.
      100
           Figure 2. Comparison Between Laboratories of Initial Efficiency for Electrostatically
                                        Charged Filters
       90 -
         0.10
        1.00
Particle Diameter (fim)
10.00
QUALITY
The ETV is operating under an EPA Quality Management Plan19 developed using the  ANSI/
American Society for Quality (ASQ) E4 Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for
Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Program 20 (E4). An important
aspect of this  system is the cooperation of EPA and the  verification partners in ensuring the
quality of the  test data. EPA performed a technical systems audit of RTFs instrumentation and
setup  for testing ventilation filters and provided performance evaluation samples and a checklist
for future technical systems audits.  EPA  also audited three  laboratories that  analyzed VOC
emissions samples for the furniture emissions studies, providing detailed performance evaluation
results to  each laboratory and briefing the ETV stakeholders group on audit results. EPA plans
to assess the RTI quality system before the program is privatized.

 RTI  has both  a  corporate quality  system based on  the  International  Organization for
Standardization  (ISO) 9001 Quality  Systems - Model  for  Quality Assurance in  Design,
Development,  Production, Installation, and Servicing and  an Environmental Sciences  and
Engineering (ESE) unit system based on E4. The ETV test protocols include extensive quality
guidelines:
•   qualifications for equipment - emissions chamber for furniture and test rig for filters,
•   data quality indicator goals for measurements,
•   detailed sampling, analysis, calculation, and reporting procedures, and

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•  requirements that each laboratory develop detailed standard operating procedures for the
   protocol.

Both a test plan and a QAPP were written for each program22. The test plan was very specific:
exact  procedures and schedule for the laboratories performing the initial protocol verification
testing.  The QAPPs followed EPA QA/G-5 EPA Guidance for  Quality Assurance Project
Plans 3 and covered the protocol items discussed above.

Because the focus  of the Indoor Air ETV pilot was to develop an infrastructure that could be
used by private testing programs, RTI developed a checklist which could be used for a laboratory
visit or technical assessment.

The protocol verification testing was viewed as preliminary tests with the possibility of changes
to the protocol based on the testing. Minor changes and clarifications were made after the testing
and the final documents were issued in September 1999 (http://etv.rti.org/iap/documents.cfm).

OUTREACH
The Indoor Air ETV pilot began in 1996, as the World Wide Web was  increasing in popularity.
At that  time, a majority of stakeholders did not have access to email  or the Web, thus we
provided hard copy letters and documents.  But, from the  beginning, we  utilized  electronic
communications. For the most part, this was successful.

By  March  2000, we had email addresses  for 62  of 95 (65%) people who attended general
ventilation  filter meetings and 41 of 54 (76%) of those who attended the commercial furniture
meetings.  Emails were used to supplement mailings:
•  invitations to meetings,
•  draft documents to be reviewed, and
•  notices that documents were available on the Web site.

The Web site was  used both to communicate with stakeholders and to provide information for
the general public.  The site has general information on the ETV program, meeting minutes, the
calendar, documents, and a list of the  stakeholders (required  as ETV is government supported).
There are links to stakeholder organizations, but not specific vendor companies.

One Web  application that was not fully successful was a stakeholder member-only  forum for
open discussion on draft minutes and  draft test protocol. In general, when draft protocols were
sent out for review, they were mailed out, then comments came back to RTI.  RTI compiled the
comments and updated the draft protocol. The forums were intended to allow all stakeholders to
see all comments as they were submitted and have dialog about them. While we sent out emails
letting people know when a new. document was available, there was not enough traffic on the
forum to encourage people to check frequently, and thus the discussions were short-lived.

The documents - test protocol and/or method, QAPP, test plan, and verification report - are
available both on the RTI web site  (http://etv.rti.org/iap/documents.cfm) and the EPA web site
(http://www.epa.gov/etv). The documents can be downloaded in Acrobat (.pdf) format for easy
printing. From October 1999 (when the final documents were made available) through March
2000, more than 1,150 copies of the documents had been downloaded from the RTI site.

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SUMMARY
Through the ETV for indoor air, test methods and supporting quality documents were developed
and verified in two areas:  chemical emissions from  commercial furniture  and particle-size
dependent removal efficiency of general ventilation filters. Stakeholder groups from industry,
customers, government, and others were used to provide input and review the documents. At the
present time, the ETV is providing technical and quality support as private testing programs are
established.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The RTI authors thank the U.S. EPA for support of the ETV through Cooperative Agreement CR
822870-01,

REFERENCES
1,  Franke, D.L., D.S. Ensor, and D.A. WMtaker. 1999.  Environmental Technology Verification
   Test Protocol,  Large Chamber Test Protocol for Measuring  Emissions  of VOCs  and
   Aldehydes,  Research Triangle Institute.
   Available at http://etv.rti.Org/iap/pdf/Furaiture_Protocol.pdf.
2.  Brown, J., L.S. Sadie, and M.S. Black.  1989. Indoor Air Quality Specification for
   Washington State Natural Resources Building and Labor and Industries Building, Olympia:
   State of Washington, Department of General Administration.
3.  U.S.EPA.  1995. U.S. EPA New Headquarters Project. Washington, D.C.
4.  BIFMA International Web Site provides a list of their member companies with web links.
   http://www.bifma.org/links.html.
5.  HUD Directive No. 3280.308. Federal Register 49 FR 32011, August 9, 1984.
6,  RTI. 1999.  Environmental Technology Protocol Verification Report, Emissions of VOCs
   and Aldehydes from Commercial Furniture.  Research Triangle Institute. Available at
   httpV/etv.rti.org/iap/pdf/Fumiture^report.pdf.
7.  Winberry, W.T., L. Forehand, N.T.Murphy, A. Ceroli, and B. Phinney.  Compendium of
   Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air, EPA-600/4-90/010. (NTIS
   PB90-200288), April 1990. Atmospheric Research and Exposure Laboratory, Research
   Triangle Park, NC.
8.  Riggin, R.M., W.T. Winberry, and N.T. Murphy.  Compendium of Methods for
   Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air, EPA -600/4-89/017. (NTIS
   PB90-116989), June 1988. Atmospheric Research and Exposure Laboratory, Research
   Triangle Park, NC.
9.  Wolkoff, P., P.A. Clausen, B. Jensen, G.D. Nielsen, and C.K. Wilkins. Are We Measuring
   the Relevant Indoor Air Pollutants? Indoor Air, Vol.  7, No. 2. pp 92-106.  1997.
10. Northeim C., D. WMtaker, L. S. Sheldon, J. Calcagni, and K. Leovic. 1997. Round-Robin
   Evaluation of a Test Method to Evaluate Indoor Air Emissions from Dry-Process
   Photocopiers. EPA-600/A-98/016. (NTIS PB98-140361). In Engineering Solutions to
   Indoor Air Quality Problems, Research Triangle Park, NC. 71-81.
11. Hanley J. T., D. S. Ensor, D. D, Smith, and L. E. Sparks. 1994.  Fractional Aerosol Filtration
   Efficiency of In-Duct Ventilation Air Cleaners. Indoor Air  4:3, 169-78.
12. Hanley J. T., D. S. Ensor, and D. D. Smith.  1995. A Fractional Aerosol Filtration Efficiency
   Test Method for Ventilation Air Cleaners. ASHRAE  Transactions  101.
13. ASHRAE.  1999. Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for Removal
   Efficiency by Particle Size. Standard 52.2-1999.  Atlanta, GA: American Society of Heating,
   Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

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14. ASHRAE. 1992. Gravimetric and Dust Spot Procedures for Testing Air Cleaning Devices
    Used in General Ventilation for Removing Paniculate Matter. Standard 52.1-1992.  Atlanta,
    GA:  American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
15. Hanley, J. T., D. S. Ensor, K. K. Foarde, and L. E. Sparks.  1999, The Effect of Loading Dust
    Type on the Filtration Efficiency of Electrostatically Charged Filters. In Proceedings of the
    8th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Indoor Air '99, Edinburgh,
    Scotland. 4: 73-8.
16. Elion, J.M., J.T. Hanley, D.S. Ensor, and D.L. Franke.  1999. Environmental Technology
    Verification Test Method, General Ventilation Filters. Available at
    http://etv.rti.org/iap/pdf7Filter_method.pdf.
17. Commerce Business Daily, June 15, 1998, PSA 2117.
18. Elion, J.M., J.T. Hanley, D.S. Ensor, and D.L. Franke. 1999. Environmental Technology
    Protocol Verification Report, General Ventilation Filters. Available at
    http://etv.rti.org/iap/pdf/Filter_Vreport,pdf.
19. U.S. EPA.  1998. Environmental Technology Verification Program, Quality and Management
    Plan for the Pilot Period (1995-2000).  EPA/600/R-98/064. Available on the EPA Web site at
    http ://www.epa.gov/etv/qmp.htm.
20. ANSI/ASQ. 1994. Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental
    Data Collection and Environmental Technology Program. ANSI/ASQ E4. Milwaukee, WI:
    American Society for Quality.
21. ANSFASQ. 1994. Quality Systems — Model for Quality Assurance in Designing,
    Development, Protection, Installing and Servicing. ANSI/ASQ Q9001-1994. Milwaukee,
    WI: American Society for Quality.
22. RTI.  Test plans and QAPPs for both general ventilation filters and for commercial furniture,
    September 1999. Available on the RTI ETV web site at http://etv.rti.org/iap/documents.cfm.
23. U.S. EPA. EPA Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans, EPA QA/G-5.  EPA/60Q/R-
    98/018. February 1998. Available on the EPA Web site at
    http://es.epa.gov/ncerqa/qa/qa_docs.html.

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KEY WORDS




Emissions, filtration, verification.

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 NRMRL-RTF-P-521
      TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completin
1. REPORT NO.
    EPA/6007 A-00/054
                           2.
                                                      3. R
4, TITLE AND SUBTITLE
 Environmental Technology Verification and Indoor
  Air
                                                      G. REPORT DATE
                             6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7.AUTHOR«s) D. L>  Franke and D. S.  Ens or (RTI); and
 L. E.  Sparks
                             8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
                                                      10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
 Research Triangle Institute
 3040 Cornwallis Road
 Research Triangle Park, North Carolina  27709
                             11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.

                              CR822870-01
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
 EPA, Office of Research and Development
 Mr Pollution Prevention and Control Division
 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
                             13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
                              Published paper;7/98-12/99
                             14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
                              EPA/600/13
is.SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES APPCD project officer is Leslie E. Sparks, Mail Drop 54,  919/
541-2458.  AWMA/J3PA Conference, Engineering Solutions to Indoor Air Quality Pro-
blems, Research Triangle Park,  NC, 7/17-19/00.
16. ABSTRACT
              paper discusses environmental technology verification and indoor air.
 RTI has responsibility for a pilot program for indoor air products as part of the U. S.
 EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program.  The program objec-
 tive is to further the development of self-supporting provate testing/ certification
 programs for indoor air products by:  convening stakeholder groups,  developing and
 verifying test protocols, and providing quality and technical support  as needed during
 privatization. Low emitting products that prevent pollution and products  that remove
 indoor contaminants were the first two areas of emphasis.  Protocols were developed
 to test chemical emissions from commercial furniture and the paryicle- size- depen-
 dent removal efficiency of general ventilation filters.  Stakeholders provided input
 and review for both protocols: then protocol verification tests were performed in
.multiple laboratories.  Final protocols and test results were issued in September
 1999.  Currently,  the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers  Association
 (BIFMA International,  a trade association for commercial furniture  manufacturers
 and a  major ETV stakeholder) is developing ah industry-wide testing program using
 the protocol. For general ventilation air filters,  the National Air Filtration Associa-
 tion (NAFA) has committed  to develop an industry-wide testing program.
17.
                             KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
                DESCRIPTORS
                                          b.IDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
                                            COSATI Field/Group
Pollution
Emission
Filtration
Furniture
Air Filters
Verifying
                 Pollution Control
                 Stationary Sources
                 Verification
                 [ndoor Air
13 B
14G
07D
15E
13K
14B
18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
 Release to Public
                                          19. SECURITY CLASS (This Report)
                                           Unclassified
                                          21. NO. OF PAGES
                                            13
                 2O. SECURITY CLASS (This page)
                 Unclassified
                                          22. PRICE
EPA Form 222O-1 <9-73)

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