A major problem when assessing in vitro the toxicity of volatile organic compounds is the loss of the tested chemicals during the course of experimental studies. This work presents a novel device for the experimental study of cell culture exposure to volatile compounds. The device is formed by different compartments separated by a porous hydrophobic membrane and allows for lengthy experiments without restricting cells from breathing. A mathematical model taking into account the mass and momentum conservation between the different device compartments has been built in order to predict the evolution of the volatile compound concentration. Theoretical results revealed a good match with experimental data and showed that the membrane surface, the volatile compound transfer properties and the operating conditions have a significant influence on the evolution of the volatile compound concentration in the liquid phase. Finally, the model proposed here is used to choose the best parameters related to both membrane structure and enclosure design so that the volatile compound can be maintained at a higher concentration for a longer period of time in the exposure chamber. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.