This study introduces a methodological framework that integrates measured volatile organic compound (VOC) emission data with mathematical modeling to assess the environmental performance of 100% coriander-based fiberboards compared with commercial medium density fiberboard (MDF). VOC emissions during the use phase were evaluated through two complementary approaches: an attributional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) including measured emissions during 28 days, and then a modeling approach based on general-purpose emission models calibrated with experimental data. To complement the LCA, a new impact category, Damage due to VOC emissions, was created to account for occupant exposure to indoor pollutants. The first order decay model provided the best fit for 7 out of 12 emission profiles, enabling the extrapolation of limited data into complete decay curves, and the calculation of exposure, potential impacts, and associated health effects. Results show that coriander fiberboard outperforms MDF in 6 out of 16 impact categories, with the agricultural phase identified as the main hotspot. Including use-phase emissions in the LCA revealed that MDF has over 100 times higher VOC-related toxicity impacts, a finding corroborated by the new impact category, which demonstrates that the damage associated with coriander fiberboard installation is almost negligible, while formaldehyde is the main contributor to MDF impacts. These findings highlight the importance of integrating the use phase VOC emissions into LCA, and demonstrate the potential of coriander fiberboard as a sustainable alternative for indoor applications. • Framework integrating use-phase VOC emissions from biobased materials into LCA. • Experimental VOC data modeled using first and dual first-order decay kinetic approach. • New impact category “Damage due to VOC emissions” developed for LCA. • Coriander fiberboard shows over 100 times lower VOC-related toxicity than MDF. • Framework enables comprehensive assessment of indoor materials’ health impacts.
Guaygua-Amaguaña et al. (Fri,) studied this question.