Building materials damage

Damage to buildings arises only from relatively high concentrations of SO2 close to urban and industrial emission sources. Nevertheless, according to the findings of recent studies, the total cost of building material damage in the Community as a result of sulphur dioxide attack could be of the order of 0.5-2.7 billion/year (Section 11.2.5). 

Sulfur dioxide emissions may affect building stone and ferrous and nonferrous metals. Sulfurous acid, formed from the reaction of sulfur dioxide with moisture, accelerates the corrosion of iron, steel, and zinc. Sulfur oxides react with copper to produce the green patina of copper sulfate on the surface of the copper. Acids in the form of gases, aerosols, or precipitation may chemically erode building materials such as marble, limestone, and dolomite. Of particular concern is the chemical erosion of historical monuments and works of art. Sulfurous and sulfuric acids formed from sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide when they react with moisture may also damage paper and leather. 

So the indoor emissions need a specific fate and exposure modelling. In Meijer et al. [16, 17] a characterization model and characterization factors for indoor emissions are presented. In the articles also indoor emissions of some building materials are estimated and their effects are calculated. It is concluded that damage effects of indoor emissions cannot be neglected. 

N. Karpovich Tate, N.L. Rebrikova, Microbial Communities on Damaged Frescoes and Building Materials in the Cathedral on the Nativity of the Virgin in the Pafnutii Borovskii Monastery, Russia, International Biodeterioration, 27, 281 296 (1990). 

Some of the most dramatic environmental effects of acid deposition have involved buildings, statues, monuments, and other structures made of metal and stone. The explanation of this kind of damage is obvious Acids in acid deposition react with metals and with many of the compounds of which rock and other building material are made. For example, corrosion occurs when metals such as iron are exposed to hydrogen ions in the presence of oxygen ... 

Materials and Structures. Building materials have become soiled and blackened by smoke, and damage by chemical attack from acid gases in the air has led to the deterioration of many marble statues in western Europe. Metals are also affected by air pollution for example, S02 causes many metals to corrode at a faster rate. Ozone is known to oxidize rubber products, and one of the effects of Los Angeles smog is cracking of rubber tires. Fabrics, leather, and paper are also affected by S02 and sulfuric acid, causing them to crack, become brittle, and tear more easily. 

Corrosion. A more serious effect and one of great economic importance is the corrosive action of acid gases on building materials. Such acids can cause stone surfaces to blister and peel mortar can be reduced to powder. Metals are also damaged by the corrosive action of some pollutants. Another common effect is the deterioration of tires... 

Building materials Air pollutants, SO2, acid gases, and particulates cause damage, discoloration, leaching Paint and colors Air pollutants, SO2, acid gases, and H2S cause damage to paint and paint discoloration... 

Silicones have been used as masonry water repellents for more than 40 years. Mineral btiilding materials absorb water and change their properties. The source of water is moisture, frost and efflorescence. The absorption of water depends on the porosity of the material. Water conveys destructive agents inside the building material, causing damage to the building. The absorption of water occurs by a number of routes (Wacker-Chemie, 1989), as will now be described. 

Frost damage. When the pores and the capillaries of the building material are frozen inside, they do not permit the non-destructive expansion of the frozen water, resulting in spalling (i.e. the disintegration of bricks, etc.) (Figure 6.9). 

Building materials exposed to weathering are corroded by the action of atmospheric influences, especially water destruction is unavoidable in the long term. Water-repellent treatments can certainly not totally stop these harmful processes, but, given adequate envelopment and attachment to the substrate, nanoscale silicone resin networks can retard material decomposition because of their high durability. Since damage caused by hydrophobic measures can be virtually ruled out if the treatments are properly applied, the organosilicon compounds used in masonry protection will become more and more widely used. 

Tuomi R, Reijula K, Hemminki K, et al. (2000) Mycotoxins in crude building materials from water-damaged buildings. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66(5) 1899-1904. 

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