Points out that increased thermal insulation and draughtproofing of homes can increase the risk to health of indoor air pollution. Includes condensation as a pollutant along with associated mould growth. Notes collaboration by Pilkington the glass company and the Timber Research and Development Association plus Laing the housebuilding group, to combat condensation by passive ventilation. Treats sources of indoor air pollution - formaldehyde, asbestos, gas appliances, tobacco smoke, thoron, radon.
Indoor air pollution is defined, and some of the causes are listed, all of which can be harmful to health. The problem is accentuated by recent insulation measures aimed at economising on energy costs, which lead to a dramatic reduction in natu
Reviews the scientific literature on indoor air pollution. Low-pollution design and construction techniques employed in the Sunnyhill Low-Pollution Research Centre are outlined in detail and suggestions are made on their applicability to new and existing housing in Canada. The study recommends a four-fold approach to the indoor air pollution problem by government and the building industry: A) short-circuit major potential hazards, B) deal with low-pollution housing needs, C) spread and apply present knowledge, and D)foster more research and discussions on regulation.
A gas sensor was used which measures the partial pressure caused by gases polluting the air. The sensor signal was measured in different rooms and compared with the pollution and CO2 rate in the air. The sensor can measure the air quality under various conditions and be used to control the fresh air volume, thus reducing ventilation heat losses.
The influence of air change and ageing on emissions from 5 different building materials were studied. It was concluded that increasing the air change rate in a rather leaky house was of practically no importance in preventing problems caused by emissions. It was also assumed that a reduction of the air change rate in a tight house may result in a considerable increase in the concentration of substances in the room air. For all 5 materials, the emission rate decreases with time.
This is a review paper addressing the current state-of-the-art. Concerns that motivate studies of the indoor environment are reviewed in the introduction. The source and typical diurnal variations of the concentration of several air contaminants are discussed in the section on characterization. A dynamic model is described in the section on indoor air quality modelling. Indoor air pollution control techniques are addressed in the last section.
Compares the levels of possible cigarette smoke-related aerosols with the prevalence of health-related complaints in offices with different regulations about smoking, using data from two sources. The first was a review of 111 buildings with persistent building-related complaints and 32 buildings where there were no complaints. The second was a questionnaire completed by approximately 1100 employees from 9 buildings in New York City. The available data do not support a conclusion that increased reports of building-related complaints are associated with smoking.
An increasing incidence of 'building illness' is being noted among white-collar workers due to the high pollutant content of air in modern energy-efficient office buildings.
Discusses strategy for dealing with indoor air pollution in office and similar buildings, including verification of the mechanical ventilation system, measurement of building pressure, problems due to stack effect, presence of moisture. Suggests that the causes and cures of indoor pollution are diverse and surprisingly simple. Mechanical ventilation systems should be less complex, have dynamic stability and correct uncontrolled excessive moisture.
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