This paper considers the predictions obtained using a recently developed ventilation parameter (VP) for evaluating the ventilation performance which combines the indices for indoor air quality and thermal comfort. This ventilation parameter is used to analyse the changes in ventilation performance with changes in the position of workstation in a room ventilated using mixing ventilation.

Continuous measurements have been operated on 28 identical low energy houses near Leipzig (Germany) during two years.The houses face due south, have two levels and one occupied attic, with a total aera of 147 m2. Heating period is from September to May. All houses except 2 were equipped with different mechanical ventilation systems, providing about 180 m3/hr of fresh air : central balanced flue systems with heat recovery, air heating system with heat recovery, central exhaust ventilation with heat recovery by heat pump, room mechanical ventilation systems.

The article compares the definitions and requirements in various standards (ASHRAE 62, DIN 1946, CEN CR 1752, CIBSE guide A, ISO TC 205) related to ventilation and indoor air quality in terms of health, comfort and productivity. It explains how standards, especially CEN CR 1752, define indoor air pollution (use of olf and decipol as well as carbon dioxyde and water vapour concentrations) and outdoor air pollution .

The system of education in Poland is affected by rapid and deep political, organizational,demographic and financial changes. Although requirements for indoor air quality aredescribed in detail in Polish building codes and standards, the real state of indoor environmentin classrooms is not well documented. However, published studies show that in schools withconventional stack ventilation indoor air quality is rather poor. Unintentionally, very oftenproblems are related to modernized buildings where energy conservation measures have beenapplied.

There is increasing evidence of a causal link between airborne particles and ill health and thisstudy examined the exposure to both airborne particles and the gas phase contaminants ofenvironmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in a bar. The work reported here utilized concurrent andcontinuous monitoring using real-time optical scattering personal samplers to recordparticulate (PM10) concentrations at two internal locations. Very high episodes were observedin seating areas compared with the bar area.

A study of the microclimate in four rooms in historic buildings reveals the different priorities,and, therefore, the different climatic data, needed by museum conservators, compared withpeople studying human welfare. In particular, it is important for conservators to know if a lowpollutant concentration indoors is due to a clean outdoor climate, a low air exchange rate orpollutant absorbent artwork on the interior walls of the building.

Within the framework of the French national research program PRIMEQUAL, measurementsof outdoor and indoor pollution have been carried out in eight schools of La Rochelle (France)and its suburbs. The buildings were naturally ventilated by opening the windows ormechanically ventilated, and showed various air permeabilities. Ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOand NO2), and particles (15 size intervals ranging from 0.3 to 15 m) concentrations werecontinuously monitored indoors and outdoors for two 2-week periods.

We studies the conditions in special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities in Japanespecially in a region with a cold climate. A questionnaire survey for all special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities in Sapporo and Fukuoka City, and Hokkaido, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Osaka Prefecture, and Tokyo Metropolis was performed. The main questionnaire asks about heating, air-cooling, ventilation systems, sanitary systems and indoor air quality including bio-aerosol and odours.

The work of Task Force IX started in 1997 at a workshop in Washington Healthy Buildings conference. It continued at the Indoor Air ‘99 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the following workshops took place at Healthy Buildings ‘00 in Helsinki, Finland

This paper presents results of an ongoing research conducted at the BEST Polytechnic ofMilan about the correlation between the over time degradation of building envelopcomponents and the indoor climate.