Help interpreting IAQ test results

[Dunks]

Hey guys looking for a little help interpreting my IAQ test results from home air check.

Backstory, 6 or so weeks ago we had our attic space encapsulated in spray foam. It’s a 100 year old house and the attic space was getting way too hot. Two weeks post install we still had quite an odor so I asked for them to perform an air check to ensure installs was completed correctly.

Results just came back. These were run in the attic space and the hallway below (with the attic hatch open)

Formaldehyde Concentration: 37 ng/L or 30 ppb
Moderate formaldehyde level but improvements can be achieved.

Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC) Summary
Your TVOC Level is: 2200 ng/L
IAQ needs improvement; effect on occupants is possible; reduce potential sources and increase ventilation.
Your Indoor Air Quality Level (Highlighted)
Normal < 500 ng/L
Moderate 500 - 1500 ng/L
Severe > 3000 ng/L

Total Mold Volatile Organic Compound (TMVOC) Summary
Your TMVOC Level is: 9 ng/L
Actively growing molds are present, individuals sensitive to molds will likely be affected.
Your Active Mold Level (Highlighed)
Minimal < 8 ng/L
Active- Elevated
30-80 ng/L
Active- High
80 - 150 ng/L
Active- Severe
150 + ng/L

I’m assuming the higher mold readings are from the old blown in insulation which was removed. (The attic had poor ventilation and was humid + sh** contractors venting bathroom fans right into it..)

The vocs are my bigger concern. We’ve not done any other work that would cause an elevated level or introduce new sources. The spray foam company says I should be concerned about hfc and CFC the blowing agents which are low according to them but I’m thinking the foam is also the source of the vocs.

Currently I’ve got a vent fan running up there running to the outside to help clear any crap air.

My question is, are these levels something I should be worried about with the installation going wrong? Being that it’s been six weeks? Or is this normal?

My families health is my priority and clean air is part of that. I’m looking at doing an ERV or similar to bring in fresh air and help take care of some of the higher readings.

Thanks for the Help.

[Sleuth]

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The Big Guns will be by soon. They're busy busy it's peak season for our industry.
..

[BALloyd]

Did they tell you how long the VOC's will off gas for?

Does the manufacturer of the spray foam have this data?

A large majority of products that come into your house from furniture to paint to insulation will off gas VOC for a bit as they dry and or acclimatize. This is why such things as low VOC paint was developed.

You may need to increase the ventilation throughout the house temporarily to purge the VOC's

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[Dunks]

Did they tell you how long the VOC's will off gas for?

Does the manufacturer of the spray foam have this data?

A large majority of products that come into your house from furniture to paint to insulation will off gas VOC for a bit as they dry and or acclimatize. This is why such things as low VOC paint was developed.

You may need to increase the ventilation throughout the house temporarily to purge the VOC's

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

No word from the installer on off gas time the manufacturer may have more information. I’ve got a vent fan running @ around 75 cfm non stop to keep it ventilating. I try to ventilate the rest of the house but Florida in summer isn’t so conducive to open windows in summer.

[randyf]

2200ng/L is very high.
A group from Harvard has published data the cognition is effected at levels >=500 ng/liter

I wouldn't worry about your formaldehyde for a couple of reason:
1. Home Air Check test over estimate formaldehyde levels. One of the most experienced IAQ experts has taken side by side comparison with Home Air Check and a very, very accurate method and consistently finds the Home Air Check reads high
2. 37ng/L is not that high (of course lower would be perfered). OSHA allows workers to be exposed to levels up to 750ng/L 8 hours a day for a life time. The World Health Org ok's exposure to 100ng/L 8 hours a day for a workers lifetime.

You mold VOCs are very, very low. Also most academic research has not found much value regarding TMVOC levels and actively growing mold.

What's missing from your report is the content of your VOCs. Normally "Home Air Check" will categorize the content of the VOCs. If you used a third party to perform the test I'd ask them for the info.
Also Home Air Check will provide the top ten VOC chemicals using your original sample for an extra fee.

If you want to reduce levels on the (relative cheap) check out a Terrabloom. They provide moderately heavy carbon canisters and fans that lower levels quickly and significantly. I've measured with high end industrial PID meters.
BUT these filters are ugly/loud and saturate very very quickly. (days/weeks)