Overall mass transfer coefficient for pollutant emissions from small water pools under simulated indoor environmental conditions

Abstract

Small chamber tests were conducted to experimentally determine the overall mass transfer coefficient for pollutant emissions from still aqueous solutions under simulated indoor (residential or occupational) environmental conditions. The tests covered six organic compounds with a Henry's constant range from 3.33 × 10-7 to 3.67 × 10-3 (atm m3/mol). The estimated overall liquid phase mass transfer coefficients for still solutions varied from 1.8 × 10-6 to 5.7 × 10-3 m/h; the estimated liquid phase mass transfer coefficients were 9.7 × 10-3 m/h for the reference compound (oxygen) and 5.00 × 10-3 to 6.04 × 10-3 m/h for the test compounds. An empirical model is proposed to estimate the overall mass transfer coefficient, which can be used to predict pollutant emissions from still aqueous solutions (e.g. pools and puddles) in indoor environments.