VOC and By-Product Emissions Testing

Purpose & when to use

VOC and By-Product Emissions Testing measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total VOC (TVOC), formaldehyde and other carbonyls, and ozone released during device operation or product use — using real-time Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal desorption GC/MS (TD-GC/MS), and DNPH-cartridge aldehyde methods in controlled chambers. Methods align to ISO 16000 series VOC sampling and formaldehyde quantification, and EPA TO-15 analytical framing under our ISO 17025 quality system. Use this service when:

Screening by-product emissions from plasma, PCO, UV, or ozone-generating air cleaners — ISO 16000 sorbent-tube VOC speciation and ozone monitoring document reaction by-products at each device mode.
Quantifying TVOC and formaldehyde from building materials, paints, or sealants under EPA TO-15 or ISO 16000 chamber protocols — emission factors support compliance narratives and product reformulation decisions.
Profiling VOC emissions from consumer aerosols or electronics — EPA TO-15 canister or TD-GC/MS methods deliver speciated compound lists and TVOC trends for ASHRAE 62.1 indoor air quality context.
Comparing device operating modes for pre/post design-change evaluation of catalyst, media, or housing materials — ISO 16000 aldehyde and VOC methods document carbonyl and TVOC shifts across conditions.
Generating chamber-based emission factors for [air-device emissions safety assessments](/testing-services/gas-voc/air-device-safety-panel/) or [gas and VOC destruction studies](/testing-services/gas-voc/gas-voc-destruction/) — ISO 17025 quality system covers chamber conditioning and background controls.

Use VOC and by-product emissions testing when device operation, material off-gassing, or product use generates compounds that drive a safety review, comparative claim, or design-change decision — from air-cleaner by-product profiling to building material characterization under ISO 16000 or EPA TO-15 frames.

Air-treatment, building, and consumer-product device families

By-product and VOC emissions testing applies wherever device operation or material use generates compounds that affect indoor air quality, occupational safety, or regulatory compliance — from plasma and PCO air cleaners to building materials under ISO 16000 and CARB 01350 aligned chamber conditions.

Air cleanerPlasma, PCO, UV, and ozone-generating air purifiers
In-duct air cleanerDucted HVAC gas-phase and UV modules
Building materialPanels, flooring, adhesives, and insulation
Consumer productSprays, cleaning agents, and personal-care aerosols
ElectronicsDevices with heated or reactive components

Instrumentation & measurement ranges

Platform selection follows the target species, chamber volume, and whether transient peaks or steady-state TVOC are the study priority — each combination is scoped at study planning and documented in the report.

0.05 – 1000 ppmconcentration

MAX-FTIR gas analyzer (real-time)

Continuous multi-species gas profiling — captures transient emission peaks, ramps, and steady-state behavior during device cycling with time-stamped concentration logs per species.

1 – 10000 µg/m³speciated-mass

TD-GC/MS (thermal desorption GC/MS)

TVOC and speciated VOC identification — discrete sorbent-tube sampling aligned to ISO 16000-6 and EPA TO-15 delivers compound-level identification and quantitation for source attribution.

1 – 5000 µg/m³carbonyl-mass

Aldehyde / DNPH cartridge and HPLC

Formaldehyde and carbonyl quantitation under ISO 16000-3 framing — DNPH-derivatized cartridge sampling with HPLC-UV analysis targets formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and higher carbonyls.

1 – 2000 ppbelectrochemical

Ozone monitor and chamber with logging

Real-time ozone concentration tracking for oxidant-generating devices — paired with time-series temperature and RH logging for chamber condition traceability and by-product formation context.

Test method options

Method	Strengths	Tradeoff	Aligned with
Real-time by-product profile (FTIR — ISO 16000 aligned)	Continuous multi-species profiling captures peaks and transients as they occur — TVOC time series across all device modes, no discrete sampling window. FTIR resolves ozone, carbonyls, and VOC families simultaneously under ISO 16000 real-time indoor air guidance — one instrument, multiple target species.	Spectral library and interference control limit compound selectivity — trace species overlap may require a follow-up TD-GC/MS run for definitive identification.	ISO 16000-6ISO 17025
Speciated VOC panel (TD-GC/MS — EPA TO-15 aligned)	Compound-level identification and quantitation from sorbent tubes — EPA TO-15 GC/MS resolves individual species for source attribution and speciated VOC reporting. Integrating discrete samples over a defined window suits steady-state emissions and regulatory-format VOC compound lists.	Discrete tubes miss brief start-up transients — short emission peaks require FTIR pairing or time-staggered placement to capture the full transient profile.	EPA TO-15ISO 17025
Carbonyl emphasis (DNPH/HPLC — ISO 16000 aligned)	Dedicated DNPH derivatization and HPLC-UV analysis under ISO 16000 delivers formaldehyde and carbonyl quantitation for air-device and building-material reviews. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde reported as standalone results alongside TVOC — supports product-certification and compliance narratives referencing occupational limits.	Careful blank control and cold-chain cartridge handling required — field and method blanks must accompany each sampling set to confirm blank-free derivatization.	ISO 16000-3ISO 17025
Ozone and oxidant reaction study (fit for purpose)	Ozone time series paired with FTIR or TD-GC/MS links oxidant levels to secondary by-product formation across device modes and power settings. Mode-resolved ozone and by-product comparisons document emission changes at each fan speed or UV state for safety narratives.	Well-defined chamber mixing and sampling placement required — unclear geometry or sampling delays conflate ozone generation with transport losses in interpretation.	—

Setup configurations

Every emissions study is configured to match device size, operating modes, target species, and the decision the data must support. Fit-for-purpose setup balances chamber volume selection — which sets dilution and equilibration time — with environmental control and the practical geometry of the device or material sample. The dimensions below are set at study planning:

Device interfaces

Chamber volume selected to match device size and operating mode — device placement, inlet orientation, and mixing fan configuration held constant across conditions to ensure repeatable dilution and sampling.

Flow & actuation profiles

Stabilization time, run duration, sampling cadence, and device mode sequence defined in the protocol — replicate runs across key modes document repeatability and mode-to-mode VOC variability.

Environmental controls

RH and temperature setpoints and logging throughout the run — conditioning reduces chamber background variability and improves emission-factor reproducibility, especially for humidity-sensitive VOCs.

Sample numbers

Replicate runs per operating mode plus background runs (device off) and material blanks as needed — replicate plan sized to expected variability from chamber background, device cycle-to-cycle stability, and analytical noise.

Media & handling

TD sorbent tubes, DNPH cartridges, and ozone denuders selected per target species — chain of custody, storage temperature, and blank accompaniment documented from field collection through final analysis.

Methods anchored to the standards that matter

Every VOC and by-product emissions study runs inside a documented quality system anchored to the indoor air VOC measurement, formaldehyde quantification, and laboratory competence frames that govern chamber-based emissions characterization. The four anchors below define the data contract carried through to §7 outputs.

ISO 17025AccreditedTesting-laboratory competence — documented methods, calibration traceability, and uncertainty contributors.
ISO 16000-6AlignedVOC determination in indoor air — sorbent-tube sampling and TD-GC/MS analysis for speciated compounds.
EPA TO-15AlignedVOC determination in ambient air — canister sampling and GC/MS analytical framing for VOC speciation reports.
ISO 16000-3AlignedFormaldehyde and carbonyl measurement — DNPH-cartridge sampling and HPLC-UV quantitation for indoor air.

Key data outputs & reporting

Every VOC and by-product emissions study delivers time-series concentration data for TVOC and selected species, carbonyl and ozone profiles where included, and emission decay metrics — primary results, QA / QC controls, and uncertainty contributors formatted for safety reviews, design-change files, or compliance narratives. The deliverables below cover the standard report; extended studies comparing multiple modes, design revisions, or material variants receive additional comparison artifacts.

Primary outputs

TVOC and speciated VOC time series (FTIR and/or TD-GC/MS) at each device mode and condition — mean, SD, and stability band per condition.
Formaldehyde and carbonyl concentrations where aldehyde methods are included — per-cartridge results with blank-corrected values and HPLC-UV chromatograms.
Ozone concentration profiles where applicable — time-series ozone alongside FTIR and TD-GC/MS data to document by-product formation context.
Emission decay curves and derived emission rates where fit for purpose — comparison across modes or conditions with summary statistics.

Deliverables

#	Format	Contents
01	PDF report	Methods, chamber conditions, time-series results, blanks, and uncertainty contributors per condition.
02	CSV / XLSX datasets	Time-series TVOC, speciated VOC, carbonyl, and ozone data per condition and replicate.
03	Figures	Time-series overlays, mode comparisons, emission decay curves, and bar summaries for technical files.

Extended deliverables · multi-arm comparability · stability · predicate studies

Multi-mode comparison pack — Side-by-side TVOC and species overlays across device modes, power settings, or design revisions.
Design-change emissions delta — Before-and-after emission profiles with statistical framing for catalyst, media, UV source, or housing changes.

QA / QC & data integrity

Every VOC and by-product emissions study ships with a documented QA / QC envelope sized to the instrument suite, chamber setup, and analytical method plan. Verifications run before and after each test set, audited under our ISO 17025 quality system with calibration records traceable from FTIR baseline validation and GC/MS calibration through final reported concentrations. Chamber background checks and blank runs accompany every campaign.

Chamber background runs (device off) and method blanks — establishes pre-test VOC baseline and documents background-subtraction approach applied to device-on results.

Field blanks and method blanks for TD sorbent tubes, DNPH cartridges, and ozone denuders — accompanies each sampling set to confirm blank-free media and derivatization integrity.

FTIR baseline validation and multi-point verification before sampling — confirms instrument sensitivity and spectral response for target species at the study concentration range.

GC/MS calibration verification and response-factor confirmation — multi-level calibration curves with acceptance criteria before and after each TD-GC/MS analytical run.

Replicate runs and acceptance checks for device-on baseline stability — between-run variability confirmed before condition comparisons are finalized in the report.

Chain of custody for sampling media, derivatization extracts, and device configuration records — tube IDs, cartridge lot numbers, device serial, and mode sequence logged per campaign.

Why ARE Labs

ARE Labs connects technical topics to practical study design, method selection, controlled aerosol work, and reportable evidence without turning technical pages into sales pages.

Reviewed byJamie Balarashti (25 yrs - cascade & inhalation methods) - Weston Schaper (7 yrs - real-time sizing & nanoparticle work)

17025Accredited testing

900+Studies Performed

17+Years in operation

300+Clients supported

Common questions

Quick answers to the questions air-cleaning device developers, building-product teams, consumer-product engineers, and indoor air quality researchers ask most often when scoping a VOC and by-product emissions study — species coverage, FTIR versus TD-GC/MS, formaldehyde methods, chamber setup, background handling, and deliverables. These answers are starting points; reach out if your device type, target species, or regulatory frame doesn't match what's shown here, since most studies need at least one configuration choice customized to the compound class and the decision.

Q.Do you measure both TVOC and speciated individual VOCs?

A.Yes. FTIR provides real-time TVOC profiling and species-level trends across device modes. TD-GC/MS adds compound-level identification and quantitation for source attribution and regulatory-format speciated reports aligned to EPA TO-15 or ISO 16000-6.

Q.Can you target formaldehyde specifically alongside the VOC panel?

A.Yes. We run dedicated DNPH-cartridge sampling and HPLC-UV analysis aligned to ISO 16000-3 for formaldehyde and other carbonyls. This runs as a standalone method or alongside the FTIR and TD-GC/MS panel within the same chamber study.

Q.How do you handle background VOCs in the chamber?

A.Background runs with the device off establish the pre-test VOC baseline. Background levels are documented and subtracted or corrected in the analysis. Field and method blanks accompany each sorbent-tube or DNPH-cartridge sampling set to confirm blank-free media.

Q.Which method captures transient emission peaks — device start-up or mode changes?

A.FTIR captures continuous real-time peaks including transients during mode switches or start-up. TD-GC/MS discrete tubes integrate over a time window and may miss brief peaks without time-staggered placement. We scope the pairing at study planning based on the expected emission profile.

Q.What drives the chamber volume and test design decisions?

A.Device size, expected emission concentration, operating modes, and whether transient peaks or steady-state emission factors are the priority. Chamber volume sets dilution — a larger chamber reduces peak concentrations; a smaller one improves detection sensitivity for low-emitting materials.

Q.What do I receive at the end of the study?

A.A PDF report with methods, chamber conditions, time-series results, blank controls, and uncertainty contributors; CSV / XLSX time-series datasets; and figures showing TVOC overlays, mode comparisons, and emission decay curves suitable for safety reviews or technical submissions.

Standards & guidance

VOC and by-product emissions studies at ARE Labs run aligned to the indoor air quality, VOC measurement, formaldehyde quantification, and laboratory competence standards that govern chamber-based emissions characterization. Where we hold third-party accreditation, methods are documented as accredited (ISO 17025); where the standard is followed but not formally accredited, methods are aligned or conformant where applicable. The cards below list the standards most relevant to VOC and by-product emissions programs.

QA & Regulatory - Accredited

Related services & devices

Service