health

This presentation will review two major microbial cell wall agents (MCWA) - endotoxin and (1->3)-ß-D-glucan - concerning their toxic effects after inhalation and their role for the development of symptoms among persons in buildings with humidity problem.

Japanese Building Maintenance Law defines that indoor humidity shall be maintained not lower than40%. But it is sometime very difficult to comply with the law. Indoor air humidifies in office buildingsmostly below 40% especially in wintertime. A request to deregulate the provision arises from HVACindustries. But a question concerning risk to deregulate the lower limit of humidity is arising.According to researches in 1960s, activity levels of influenza virus become higher when indoorrelative humidity becomes lower than 40%.

The aim was to study changes of symptoms and signs in an office exposed to flooding fromheavy rain. All 18 workers participated in medical investigations in January 1998. Thesubjects were first investigated on a Monday in a reference building and then all moved backand were reinvestigated in a damp building after 2 days of exposure.

Moisture-related indicators indoors are, e.g. visible mould and damp spots, condensation onthe inside of window panes, detached floor covering materials, flooding and bad odours. Suchindicators are frequently found and are reported to appear in 25-80% of the buildingsworldwide (Bornehag et al., 2001). Dampness has also been identified as a major risk factorfor, e.g. respiratory symptoms such as asthma, cough and wheezing among both children andadults (Bornehag et al., 2001).

We measured the temperature, relative air humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3),nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and formaldehyde levels in 30 classrooms in 10 schools in Shanghai.The pupils received a questionnaire; 1414 participated (99%). The temperature was 13-21C,and RH was 36-82%. The 1000 ppm CO2 level was exceeded in 45% of the classrooms.Indoor formaldehyde was 3-20 g/m3. The concentration of O3 was low, both indoors (

This study reports the attained indoor air quality in new buildings when using different M1-classified finishing materials and ventilation systems. It is practical to use the TVOC value asa reference in comparing material emissions, their effect on indoor air quality and infollowing the effect of different parameters on the indoor air quality. But is TVOC a relevanttool from the health point of view to be used in characterizing the indoor air as the singlecompounds contained in the TVOC value do have very different effects on the health andperceived indoor air quality?

Indoor chemistry is receiving attention due to the possible health effects of products ofreactions between indoor pollutants, and the potential for such products to contribute to indoorparticulate matter (PM). Much of the focus with respect to indoor chemistry has been onterpene/ozone reaction products, since terpenes are ubiquitous indoors, ozone readilyinfiltrates from outdoors, and the reaction rates are comparable to typical air exchange rates inmany indoor settings. Several studies have documented particle formation from reactionsbetween ozone and a-pinene or d-limonene.

This paper describes the results of indoor air quality and ventilation rate during winter in 12Japanese houses that are suspected to be sick houses, judging from the occupants healthcondition. Three methods of measuring the ventilation rate, i.e. the PFT method, the constantconcentration method and the measurement of airflow at inlet/outlet, are compared. Each ofthe methods has its own characteristics and differences in the results obtained are shown. Forindoor air quality, formaldehyde and VOC concentration in the air and the spaces in the insidewall are measured.

The quality of our indoor environments affects well-being and productivity, and risks fordiverse diseases are increased by indoor air pollutants, surface contamination with toxinsand microbes, and contact among people at home, at work, in transportation, and in manyother public and private places. Offered here is an overview of nearly a century of researchdirected at understanding indoor environments and health, current research needs, andpolicy initiatives that need to be addressed in order to have the healthiest possible builtenvironments.

In recent years, the World Health Organization has published a database with detailedestimates of the global burden of death and morbidity by disease, age, sex, and region. Justthis year, a WHO-organized international team expanded this effort by systematicallyestimating the individual burdens for some two dozen more distal risk factors by age, sex,and region, including, inter alia, malnutrition, hypertension, tobacco use, obesity, unsafesex, and several environmental and occupational risk factors.