Summary of an APCA International Speciality Conference. Contains information on some relatively unfamiliar trace gases and fungi, as well as on the better known indoor air pollutants. Studies range from those on human health tothose concentrating on pollutant emissions to those addressing building ventilation. Papers also cover sick building syndrome and pollutant and ventilation surveys.
The new proposal for ventilation requirements in the National Building Code of Finland is on public review. The structure of the proposal is different from the existing ventilation code. Minimum requirements for acceptable indoor climate will be given to a wider extent than before, eg new requirements for indoor air temperature and purity are proposed. Also the quality of outdoor air should be taken into account in design of ventilation. Health aspects are also considered, based on today's international knowledge of indoor air quality and human health.
There is no patent solution. Discusses duties of ventilation system: to create a satisfactory indoor climate in a cost-effective manner while considering the demands of three intimately associated factors - well-being, health, working efficiency, risk. Notes the various criteria to be complied with to provide satisfactory ventilation: thermal requirements, air quality requirements, noise/safety, flexibility and economy.
Too high a concentration of certain gases (e.g. water vapour, carbon dioxide, tobacco smoke, alcohol, etc.) in public buildings can damage the health. Even low concentrations can cause discomfort and make the room air seem unpleasant. This paper describes this subjective perception of air qulaity. It is shown that installation of an appropriate sensor can make substantial energy savings.
Sick building syndrome has up until recently been diagnosed from complaints by the users of the building. Specific causes of complaints symptoms usually have not been identified. Inspection methods have been limited. Frequency of sick buil
Methods of monitoring passive smoking vary in accuracy and expense. Annoyance is easily identified among smokers and non-smokers alike. Sensory irritation does occur, but the threshold is difficult to establish. Infections in children appear to be generally correlated with mother's smoking and by amount of smoking per day. The effect on children's lung function growth has been established, but amount varies. Passive smoking has a blunting effect on response to other irritants and asthmatics are more susceptible than others.
Indoor radon concentrations are approximately lognormally distributed, with the range of concentrations varying from a one in one thousand risk of contracting lung cancer to high one per cent risk. Source strength rather than ventilation rate seems to be the major factor causing the broad distribution in concentrations. There is general agreement that the most important mechanism for radon entry into homes is not diffusion but pressure driven flow of soil gas that carries radon from the soil into the homes.
Air pollution is not just a phenomenon associated with urbanization and industrialization. It is possible that the principal exposures to several important pollutants occur in rural areas of developing countries where the population relies on biomass fuels for their energy needs. These fuels have large emission factors for particulates, CO and a range of hydrocarbons. Rural studies have found very high BaP concentrations. Effects on health have not been researched, but can be assumed to be similar to urban occupational air pollution effects.
Contains further papers, reports and conference summaries from the 3rd International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, 1984, as well as afull list of authors and titles of papers printed in this and the previous volumes.
Indoor air quality is regarded as the single most important health issue facing us in the 1980's. The total number of serious health effects related to IAQ in non- industrial buildings have been miniscule compared to the total building stock.
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