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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 air quality (IAQ) in a house using building materials with low chemical emission wasinvestigated for 8 months. Indoor air concentration, emission rate of aldehydes and VOCsfrom floor and wall, air change rate, temperature and relative humidity were measured toevaluate the IAQ of the house. Air change rate was measured by two methods. Indoor airconcentration and emission rate from building materials were measured at differentconstruction phases (before and after completion) and after being occupied. A questionnairewas used to examine the influence of lifestyle on IAQ.

This study has done for setting the criteria for emission from building materials and a methodto test for formaldehyde (HCHO). Emission tests from major building products in acontrolled small chamber were performed with a field and laboratory emission cell (FLEC)to evaluate the features of chemical pollutants from those coverings. HURI (Housing &Urban Research Institute) proposed the test method and the emission criteria for HCHO,which considered many dimensions including test results and the influence on the buildingmaterials market.

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.

Unique means to evaluate IAQ with passive sampling devices are described in this paper.They are simple, silent and require less equipment. Field measurements in a newlyconstructed, multi-family residential building were conducted with these means and theresults show the effect of ventilation, occupancy and interior finishing on IAQ. Indoor airconcentration, emission rates from indoor surfaces and ventilation rate were measured bypassive sampling methods. The ADSEC method was used for emission measurements. ThePFT method was used for measurement of the ventilation rate.

A 3-year research project was established in 1999 to create numerical reference data forindoor air quality follow-up in new buildings. A total of 12 measurement sites, representingthe present construction practice in Finland, were chosen for investigation. Low-emittingsurface materials according to the Finnish Classification of Building Materials were used atall sites. The indoor air VOCs, formaldehyde and ammonia concentration as well as thetemperature, relative humidity and the air exchange rate were defined for the newly finishedbuilding.

A material emission database was developed for 48 building materials based on ASTM testmethods. The database consists of model coefficients for the five to six most abundant volatileorganic compounds (VOCs) emitted from each building material. A power-law model wasused to describe the emissions from dry materials including particleboard, plywood, orientedstrand board (OSB), solid wood, gypsum wallboard, acoustic ceiling tile, vinyl flooring,underpad and carpet.

The purpose of this paper is to document the potential impact on indoor air quality of outdoorozone during photochemical pollution episodes. A preliminary one-day experiment wasconducted during summer 2002 in a room of the CSTB experimental house MARIA. Ozone,VOC and aldehyde concentrations were monitored outdoors and indoors from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.Outdoor ozone hourly mean concentrations increased from 30 to 100 g/m3 during the day.The indoor to outdoor ratio ranged from 0.10 to 0.25, indicating possible ozone-inducedreactions occurring indoors.

Indoor radon concentrations in high-rise buildings are found to be affected by two majorfactors, namely the ventilation rate and the radon production rate of building materials. In thispaper we present a method to apportion the indoor concentrations to their individual emissionsources. The method consists of two parts: one part is to determine the overall radonproduction rate in a sealed room space, and the other part is to determine the radon productionrate from a particular component. The methods are based upon mass balance models.

The concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbonyl compounds were measuredat 40 residences in three cities of China (30 from Chengdu, five each from Changsha and Beijing).Indoor, outdoor and personal exposure samples were simultaneously collected at each site. The average concentrations of benzene, toluene, xylene, especially benzene, were significantly higher than those of other countries both indoor and outdoor. There is significant correlation between indoor concentration and personal exposure of VOCs and carbonyl compounds.