Before starting a French nationwide survey, a pilot study was conducted in 2001 on 90dwellings in three geographical areas (North, East and South of France). This survey includedmeasurements on 40 priority indoor parameters (VOC, NO2, CO, CO2, bacteria, moulds,allergens, MMMF, temperature, humidity) and questionnaires on building characteristics,occupants description and time activity diaries. The paper focuses on the chemical levelsfound in dwellings.

The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental setup developed to characterizereactions between ozone and building products and document their potential impact on indoorair quality. Preliminary experiments were conducted on four building products: two carpets, agypsum board and a pine wood board. These preliminary experiments clearly indicate thatozone is significantly removed in contact with the four selected products. Measured ozoneremoval were around 65% for the two carpets, 70% for the gypsum board and 75% for thepine wood board.

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.

Now believed to be responsible for anaphylaxis to chemical substances, concentrations of formaldehyde and VOCs emitted by interior finish materials and furniture, is very low in residential spaces. To accurately measure these concentrations, it is necessary to concentrate the air sample during sampling and to employ high-precision analysers such as a GC analyzer to obtain the results. Since these complicated sampling and analytical operations require a high level of expertise, the development of an on-the-spot precise measuring instrument has long been awaited.

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.