Gas-Phase Chemistry

VOC and By-Product Emissions Testing

Quantify VOCs, aldehydes, ozone, and other by-products released during device operation or product use in controlled chambers.

We combine real-time FTIR, TD-GC/MS, and aldehyde methods to track emissions over time, identify contributing compounds, and document controls under ISO 17025.

ISO 17025ISO 16000-6EPA TO-15ISO 16000-3Reviewed 2026-05-15
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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. ARE Labs uses real-time Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal desorption GC/MS (TD-GC/MS), and DNPH-cartridge aldehyde methods in controlled chambers. Methods align with ISO 16000 series VOC sampling and formaldehyde quantification, and with EPA TO-15 analytical framing under our ISO 17025 quality system. Use this service when:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 releases compounds that affect a safety review, comparative claim, or design-change decision. Applications range 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

We select the analytical platform based on the target species, chamber volume, and whether transient peaks or steady-state TVOC are the study priority. The combination is defined during 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

MethodStrengthsTradeoffAligned 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

Each emissions study is configured around device size, operating modes, target species, and the decision the data must support. Chamber volume affects dilution and equilibration time. Environmental controls and chamber geometry are then set to accommodate the device or material sample and keep sampling consistent across conditions. We define the dimensions below during 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

VOC and by-product emissions studies follow a documented quality system grounded in the indoor air VOC measurement, formaldehyde quantification, and laboratory competence frameworks used for 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

Each VOC and by-product emissions study provides time-series concentration data for TVOC and selected species, along with carbonyl and ozone profiles when included and calculated emission decay metrics. The report presents primary results, QA / QC controls, and uncertainty contributors in a format suited to safety reviews, design-change files, or compliance narratives. The deliverables below cover the standard report. Extension paths are available for studies comparing multiple operating modes, design revisions, or material variants, with additional comparison artifacts provided as relevant.

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

#FormatContents
01PDF reportMethods, chamber conditions, time-series results, blanks, and uncertainty contributors per condition.
02CSV / XLSX datasetsTime-series TVOC, speciated VOC, carbonyl, and ozone data per condition and replicate.
03FiguresTime-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

A documented QA / QC plan accompanies each VOC and by-product emissions study and is matched to the instrument suite, chamber setup, and analytical methods. Verifications are completed before and after each test set and audited under our ISO 17025 quality system. Calibration records remain traceable from FTIR baseline validation and GC/MS calibration through the 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

These answers address the questions air-cleaning device developers, building-product teams, consumer-product engineers, and indoor air quality researchers most often ask when planning a VOC and by-product emissions study. Topics include species coverage, FTIR versus TD-GC/MS, formaldehyde methods, chamber setup, background handling, and deliverables. They are starting points. Most studies require at least one configuration choice based on the compound class and the decision the data must support, so contact us if your device type, target species, or regulatory frame is not covered here.

Q.Do you measure both TVOC and speciated individual VOCs?
A.Yes. FTIR provides real-time TVOC profiles and species-level trends across device operating modes. TD-GC/MS adds compound-level identification and quantitation for source attribution and regulatory-format speciated reports aligned with EPA TO-15 or ISO 16000-6.
Q.Can you target formaldehyde specifically alongside the VOC panel?
A.Yes. We use dedicated DNPH-cartridge sampling and HPLC-UV analysis aligned with ISO 16000-3 to measure formaldehyde and other carbonyls. The method can run alone or alongside FTIR and TD-GC/MS 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. We document these levels and subtract or otherwise correct for them during analysis. Field and method blanks accompany each sorbent-tube or DNPH-cartridge sampling set to verify that the media are free of detectable contamination.
Q.Which method captures transient emission peaks — device start-up or mode changes?
A.FTIR continuously captures real-time peaks, including transient emissions during startup or mode changes. TD-GC/MS tubes collect over defined time windows and may miss short peaks unless sampling is staggered. We select the pairing during study planning based on the expected emission profile.
Q.What drives the chamber volume and test design decisions?
A.We consider device size, expected emission concentration, operating modes, and whether transient peaks or steady-state emission factors are the priority. Chamber volume determines dilution: a larger chamber reduces peak concentrations, while a smaller chamber can improve detection sensitivity for low-emitting materials.
Q.What do I receive at the end of the study?
A.Deliverables include a PDF report covering methods, chamber conditions, time-series results, blank controls, and uncertainty contributors; CSV / XLSX time-series datasets; and figures showing TVOC overlays, operating-mode comparisons, and emission decay curves for use in safety reviews or technical submissions.

Standards & guidance

ARE Labs conducts VOC and by-product emissions studies in alignment with the indoor air quality, VOC measurement, formaldehyde quantification, and laboratory competence standards used for chamber-based emissions characterization. When ARE Labs holds third-party accreditation, the method is identified as accredited under ISO 17025. When a standard is followed without formal accreditation, the method is described as aligned or conformant where applicable. The cards below list the standards most relevant to VOC and by-product emissions programs.

QA & Regulatory - Accredited

ISO 17025

Testing and calibration laboratory competence — documented methods, uncertainty, and traceabilityView standard ->Gas & VOC Analysis - Aligned

ISO 16000-6

VOC determination in indoor air — sorbent-tube sampling and thermal desorption GC/MS analysisView standard ->Gas & VOC Analysis - Aligned

EPA TO-15

VOC determination in ambient air — canister sampling and GC/MS analytical methodView standard ->Gas & VOC Analysis - Aligned

ISO 16000-3

Formaldehyde and carbonyl measurement — DNPH-cartridge sampling and HPLC-UV quantitationView standard ->Gas & VOC Analysis - Aligned

CARB 01350

California VOC emission limits for furniture, flooring, and building materialsView standard ->

Related services & devices

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Air Device Emissions Safety

By-product emissions profiling feeds directly into safety assessments for plasma, PCO, and ozone-generating air cleaners — VOC and ozone data supports the safety narrative.Read more ->Devices

Portable Room Air Purifiers

By-product emissions characterization for portable UV, plasma, and PCO air cleaners — FTIR and TD-GC/MS document ozone, formaldehyde, and TVOC at each operating mode.Read more ->Service

Gas and VOC Destruction

Characterized inlet emissions from this service anchor the challenge concentration in gas-phase removal and destruction-efficiency studies — inlet and outlet VOC profiles compared.Read more ->Devices

In-Duct Commercial Air Cleaners

Ducted HVAC gas-phase and UV modules — by-product emissions testing confirms ozone and carbonyl generation at installed airflow conditions before occupied-space deployment.Read more ->