Plastic Sheeting Offgassing

In drafty old houses with lots of air changes it wasn t much of a problem.

Plastic sheeting offgassing.

The danger from chemicals in plastic is not limited to leaching from bottles and food wraps. High purity plastics such as peek and pfa have low levels of leachables and extractables as well as low outgassing and low absorption of process fluids. Over time the sand will retain moisture and you will have a musty smell again. Offgassing is a common process and occurs in a wide array of common household items including furniture carpet clothing flooring and wood products.

They may smell nice but these sheets off gas a whole host of chemicals. These materials are often specified for food processing pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing applications where contamination must be avoided. Soaps glass cleaners toilet bowl cleaners polishes and detergents are all common sources of vocs. In fact the material safety data sheet warns against dryer sheets citing them as a cause of eye and skin irritation.

If you can place 6mil sheets of visqueen and cover it with 2 4 of concrete this is the best method to remove moisture intrusion into the home if you intend to use the basement. Plastic outgassing is an important factor for plastic components that are going to be used in high heat environments vacuum applications or enclosed spaces. If you are not using the basement you can cover the plastic sheets with 4 of dry sand. How it affects you over exposure of these volatile organic compounds will aggravate allergies and asthma conditions as well as irritate eyes nose and throats.

Another significant source of concern is from outgassing also known as offgassing.