English

VOC emissions from building materials are assumed to cause irritation of eye and the upper airways (sensory irritation, SI) in the indoor environment. Four finishing products, two PVC floorings and paints, were selected to this study: PVC(+) and Paint(+) were accepted whereas PVC(-) and Paint(-) were not acceptable in the human sensory evaluation. SI potency of VOC mixtures representing the material emissions were tested by the mouse bioassay (ASTM E981-84 ). Both the paint mixtures were much poorer irritants than PVC(-), but stronger than PVC(+).

This paper describes synthetically the work carried out by the Polytechnic University of Turin within the CE-funded .Research project PRECiS, aimed at valuating the effect of urban form on heating and cooling energy saving potential. A sens1tlv1ty analysis based on the parameter urban wind pressure drag was performed using the thermal simulation program ESP-r. The methodology used and a first set of results are presented.

An intervention study in eleven schools with approximately 1000 children age twelve to thirteen has been carried out in the period 1997 to 1999. Four schools with poor ventilation standard, three schools with carpets and four reference schools participated. In the schools with carpets, these have been removed and in the schools with poor ventilation systems, these have been upgraded to Norwegian standards for new buildings. A questionnaire was answered three times during a two-week period, asking how indoor environment-related symptoms were perceived.

This case study conducted in a new air-conditioned building in Singapore was aimed at identifying, and assessing indoor levels of VOCs using a GC-MS method. The study identified 80 different compounds with Toluene appearing in all locations. Most VOCs detected were from building materials, adhesives, varnishes, sealing compounds, polyester carpets reflecting the age of the building and vehicular emissions reflecting the poor positioning of the air intake.

Vertical solar-air collectors that are used for providing natural ventilation can be a viable solution in buildings where higher ventilation rate requirements for better indoor air quality cannot be met by traditional natural ventilation methods. Indoor air quality problems have been experienced in Portuguese school buildings where a study revealed that the C02 concentrations in classrooms in winter were higher than the recommended health limits. To improve the environment in these classrooms, solar-induced ventilation has been suggested.

Numerous scientific studies show that indoors are the source of potentially harmful substances called indoor air pollutants. They come from various sources. Indoor levels are often much higher than outdoor level and most people spend the bulk of their time indoors. As indoor air pollution is relatively new problem, health and comfort problems are associated with it. The starting point for studies on constituents of the indoor environment is to realize that the problem to be solved is complex.

In this study we evaluated the diffusion of nitrous oxide in a few operating rooms, using spatial data modelling techniques, in order to assess hospital staff exposure and to promote risk management. Indoor air sampling was carried out, during routine operating activity, by means of transportable infrared spectrometer, with geostatistical techniques. We detected high average concentrations of nitrous oxide (from 8 ppm to 445 ppm, with a peak of 1345 ppm).

On the base of universally valid laws: energy conservation and the theorem of Fourier, the dynamic behavior of a room is traced back to only two most important parameters. With the aid of the so-called free-run temperature a generally valid strategy for low energy houses is deduced and its transfer to practice illustrated. With the climate surfaces, a planning tool is introduced allowing the strategic planning of low energy houses based on these two parameters. Finally the obsolescence of the passive-solar rules and strategies is demonstrated.

Measurements of VOC, formaldehyde, temperature, relative humidity, ventilation and inspections of humidity related problems were made in 178 randomly selected Swedish dwellings. More than one hundred single VOCs was identified with a mean concentration less than 25 μg/m3. The concentration of 80% of the identified VO Cs were less than 10 μg/m3. One-family houses had a higher concentration of VOCs than multi family houses.