An innovative thermal comfort meter has been developed. It can simulate the human body evaporative losses. The sensor has been calibrated in a climatic chamber with different air temperature, velocity and humidity.

Indoor exposure to particles of outdoor origin constitutes an important exposure pathway. We conducted an intensive set of indoor particle measurements in an unoccupied house under differing operating conditions. Real-time measurements were conducted both indoors and outdoors, including PM2.5 nitrate, sulfate, and carbon. Because the time-scale of the fluctuations in outdoor particle concentrations and meteorological conditions are often similar to the time constant for building air exchange, a steady state concentration may never be reached.

Values for total dust concentration in indoor air in day-care centres, offices and schools with no reported problems are measured. These are: day-care centres 41 14 g/m3, offices 16 5 g/m3, schools 20 10 g/m3. In parallel the particle size distribution in six interval from 0.3 m - >20 m are reported. No seasonal variation in total dust concentration could be seen. Sudden increase in number of the particles in the smallest intervals are found at night for some systems when they are shut down or working on reduced speed.

The Indoor Air Quality Committee of the Boston Society of Architects was invited to evaluate a large brick school building erected in 1963 to serve 1600 students. The investigation included a written questionnaire, evaluation of air using the ASTM E981 (modified) bioassay, fungal and bacterial testing, real time monitoring of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, respirable particulate, total volatile organic compounds, relative humidity and temperature. The survey and testing enumerated many potential causes for poor IAQ.

A study of 120 randomly selected classrooms in 30 schools in central and south Texas, USA was conducted to begin assembling baseline information on the condition of indoor air in Texas elementary schools. Part I of the study consisted of questionnaires sent to all teachers and staff in the schools to obtain information about the use of their rooms, room contents and their perceptions of its indoor air quality. Part II consisted of walkthroughs in each school and the 120 classrooms to obtain information on the building design, HVAC system and condition of the space/building.

The Texas Elementary School Indoor Air Study (TESIAS) involved several phases, including single-day continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 120 randomly selected classrooms in two school districts. The median time-averaged and peak CO CO2 concentrations were 1,286 ppm and 2,062 ppm, respectively. The time-averaged CO2 concentration exceeded 1,000 ppm in 66% of the classrooms. The peak CO2 concentration exceeded 1,000 ppm in 88% of the classrooms and 3,000 ppm in 21% of the classrooms.

A research program has been initiated to focus on obtaining quantitative data in existing elementary schools through a longitudinal study with controls, interventions, and cross-sectional components. The overall objective of this program is to quantify the effects of simultaneous control of indoor exposures (i.e., thermal, indoor air quality or IAQ, lighting, and acoustics) on specific measures of human response, student and teacher performance, and productivity. The pilot study is being conducted in six elementary schools in Montgomery County Maryland.

Construction in healthcare facilities is a major risk for airborne agents infecting immune compromised patients. Standard air quality analysis has included air sampling for airborne fungi. These culture data require weeks for transport, incubation and identification. During a demolition and construction of a new medical facility an infection control risk assessment(ICRA) determined pre-construction precautions and surveillance methods. The surveillance utilized real time air particle analysis and culture methods to determine relevant indicators of potential hazards.

Several studies have shown that supply air filters in office buildings, schools etc. occasionally get wet due to weather impacts. The aim of this study was to investigate whether performance characteristics, such as pressure drop across the filter and filtration efficiency, change when two different kinds of air filters become soaked and dried. The filters used, were a fiberglass bag filter and a plastic fiber bag filter, each of filter class F7. The study showed that the filter getting wet did not affect the shape of the dried filter material of plastic fibers.

Several studies based on analytical models and numerical simulations have shown that it is difficult to control airborne particle movements in a ventilated room. However, more knowledge and information on particle characteristics and particle movements, in combination with new numerical simulation tools, have recently made it easier to estimate particle patterns. In the present paper new information is used to evaluate the role of filtration and ventilation in the particle elimination process.