bacteria

This paper presents a comparison of Indoor Air Quality in several buildings constructed prior to the implementation of the new Spanish regulation on thermal installations (RITE, 2007 modified on 2013) and some new ones that fully accomplish the requirements of this new regulation.

With the continuous improvement of the energy performance of buildings, ventilation plays a crucial role in the control of pollutants from indoor sources and related comfort and health effects. However, the ventilation system itself could possibly also be a source of indoor air pollutants such as microbial contaminants. Profound scientific and technical knowledge on the impact of the design, installation and maintenance on the real performances of ventilation systems is currently lacking.

Many studies have shown that ventilation systems often host bacteria and fungi that may bedangerous for the health of people exposed to them. This problem may be particularly acute inhospitals, where exposed people are more sensitive. The paper presents the methodologydeveloped to study the effectiveness of some plants extract, the essential oils to hindermicrobial growth, in order to propose an indoor air purification method based on thegermicidal and odorant properties of the essential oils. First results are encouraging.

Thirty classrooms in 10 schools in Shanghai, China, were investigated in winter. Dust wascollected by vacuum cleaning, analysed for ergosterol, muramic acid, and 3-hydroxy fattyacids (LPS) by tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MSMS). Airborne microoganisms weresampled on Nucleopore filters (CAMNEA). The compound 1-octen-3-ol was found in higherconcentrations in indoor than in outdoor air. Total indoor bacteria were positively correlatedto both LPS and muramic acid in settled dust. Indoor and outdoor air contained many viablespecies.

Several indoor air biofilters containing higher plants, mosses and microbes have been incorporated into functional offices, where they are a supplemental means of controlling indoor air quality through the removal of volatile organic compounds. In theory a rich microbial community indoors may in fact lower air quality through the production of microbial agents such as spores or aerial bacteria. Questions have arisen regarding the impact of an indoor air biofilter on ambient spore concentrations including the pathogen Legionella pneumophilia.

Germicidal UV (UVC) lamps have a long history of use for inactivation of microbial aerosols. The majority of the literature has considered control of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) in medical facilities. Emphasis has recently been on ventilation duct use of UVC. Under these conditions, infections agents are usually of less concern than environmental organisms. Much less information is available regarding common environmental organisms. The present work reports the ability of UVC lamps to inactivate 7 representative microbial aerosols in ventilation duct conditions.

Three portable air cleaners alone or combined with ultra-violet germicidal irradiations were tested to determine their capacity to remove airborne bacteria. Results give values of airborne bacteria removal rates.

The airborne transmission of disease is a constant threat and while diseases such as Tuberculosis were considered all but extinct in the western world, the resurgence of it demonstrates that the spread of these diseases has to be taken very seriously. This paper describes the method of application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), more appropriately called Airflow Modelling for the Building Services Industry, to the airflow and heat transfer in a Hospital Isolation Room Application.

The association of moisture damages of school buildings with microbial indoor air quality and health status of school children was studied. To determine the association the school buildings (N=32) were divided into the moisture damaged (index) and non-damaged (reference) schools according to technical inspection data. Children's health surveys were made by questionnaires. Microbes were determined from indoor air of school buildings using a six-stage impactor. Children in the index schools reported more respiratory symptoms compared to children in the reference schools.