Thermal effects on polybrominated diphenyl ether mass transfer and emission from computer cases

The increase in temperature of some consumer products, especially electronic devices, results in an increase of semivolatile organic compound (SVOC) emissions. Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are used in many electronic casings and circuit boards to protect consumers from fires. However, the heat from the internal circuitry increases the SVOC vapor pressure and the material–air partition coefficient decreases, driving SVOC transport out of the substrate and into the indoor environment. In the case of a computer tower, the cooling fan also increases the mass transfer coefficient, further increasing emissions. Such enhanced emissions are a concern since recent studies claim adverse health effects of PBDEs on human health. In this study, a simplified heat and mass transfer model is developed to characterize the combined heat and mass transfer problem for a computer tower in an indoor space to determine the levels of PBDE that would be outgassed. As expected, higher temperatures increase the emission rate of the SVOC and explain one of the transport mechanisms for BFRs into the environment. The emission rate of PBDEs was on the order of tens of nanograms per hour. The concentration of PBDEs in the air increases 40–80% for every 5 °C increase inside the computer case, depending on the congener. If these emission rates prove to be toxicologically significant, then models such as the one proposed can be used in risk analysis modeling and to develop mitigation strategies.