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Recently in Korea, plywood has been widely used as a floor material for Korean floor heatingsystems (Ondol) instead of the conventional oiled floor paper. Volatile organic compounds(hereafter VOCs) are easily emitted from the plywood and adhesives that constitute the floorinto the indoor environment due to the warm temperature of the floor. In this study, emissioncharacteristics of VOCs from adhesive and paints within an Ondol floor are assessed using theSmall Chamber Method in residences with plywood floors.

In this report, we proposed the estimation method of building material properties by usingboth numerical analysis and measuring the time history of concentration in micro cell, andshowed that the effective diffusion coefficient, emission rate and initial concentration in thebuilding material is provided with a single measurement. The effective diffusion coefficientof testing building materials were estimated to be from about 4.010-10 to 2.510-8 [m2/s] inthis proposed method.

Bake-out of buildings is believed to have a potential to reduce indoor air pollution caused byVOCs and formaldehyde emitted from building materials although controversial discussionshave been suggested. To clarify the effectiveness of bake-out, in this study, the variation ofVOCs and formaldehyde emission rate from building material were investigated in residentialhousing units with passive sampling methods.

The European research project Innovative Sensor System for Measuring Perceived AirQuality and Brand Specific Odours (SysPAQ) is started under the VIth frameworkprogramme under the work programme New and Emerging Science and Technology(NEST PATHFINDER "Measuring the Impossible"). The Kick-off of the project was on thefirst of September 2006.

Today, especially in the developed industrialised nations, we have a high standard of foodsupply for the population. In these societies people are asking increasingly how and underwhich conditions their foods are produced. These questions relate above all to the complexesof animal health and animal management conditions, product quality, and influences on theenvironment caused by animal production. One problem in this connection is the high airtemperatures together with high air humidity. There are not only in hot climates but also inGermany high temperatures during the summer period.

This paper presents the results of a study to determine the thermal comfort requirements ofthe occupants in Iranian hospitals. It arrives at its conclusions through consideration of thewide range of metabolic rates and clothing levels experienced by the occupants. The studyincludes both patients and staff, and only considers patient recovery wards as these are wherethe greatest range of thermal comfort needs will normally be found. This study uses ISO 7730as its basis, with reference also to ASHRAE 55 and CIBSE.

The occupants of hospitals like other buildings have widely differing thermal comfortrequirements due to their different levels of clothing and metabolism. The study indicatedthree main groups of occupants in Iranian hospitals as: patients that are able to be covered,patients that are not able to be covered regarding their medical conditions, and staff. Thisstudy investigated the thermal comfort calculated to have been achieved for differentoccupants in Iranian hospitals.

Currently, numerical simulation research on indoor air and human thermal comfort usuallyfocuses on the air-conditioning room in summer. This paper uses an Air-conditioneddormitory in winter as a model to study indoor airflow and human thermal comfort. Thispaper uses k -e three-dimensional turbulence model and N-S equation, considers airflowwith room shape and obstacles as one, calculates the indoor airflow and heat transferproblems with overall solution, studies indoor air form especially velocity field withnumerical simulation.

Energy efficient behaviour was studied by a questionnaire addressing office workersaltogether in 34 office buildings in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and Italy. AFinnish occupancy study of the possibilities to adjust working environment and thus gainbetter working efficiency offered comparative reference results on similar themes.The possibility to control personal working environment was most important for the officeworkers. The qualitative building automation had a positive influence on the feedbackregarding workspaces.

This paper presents the findings of a short-term monitoring exercise and questionnaire surveyto assess the thermal comfort conditions actually being achieved in 6 Iranian Office buildings.The findings of the questionnaire and monitoring are compared to give confidence that thequestionnaire is accurately reflecting the calculated comfort conditions obtained from thephysically monitoring and site observations.