This guide is divided into four sections, which draw together different areas of BRE radon-related research. It supplements existing guidance. Sump systems are usually very effective at reducing indoor radon levels. The first part of the guide describes the benefits of passive sump systems, ie systems that are not fan-assisted. The second part shows how a single fan-assisted system can be used to treat several adjoining houses. Compared to installing several separate systems, a communal system of this type is quicker and cheaper to install and causes less disruption.

A mathematical model is developed to predict Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission rates from homogeneous materials. The model considers both mass diffusion and mass convection processes in the boundary layer between the material surface and the air flow. Establishing the relationship between the surface air flow and emission rate: the model therefore can predict the material emission rate under different environmental conditions.

Building products have been shown to affect the perceived indoor air quality in buildings. Consequently, there is a need for characterizing the emissions from building products in sensory terms to evaluate their impact on the perceived air quality. Determining the exposure-response relationship between concentration of the emission from a building product and human response is recommended. A practical method is proposed based on an air-dilution system connected to the exhaust of a ventilated small-scale test chamber.

Investigations of particle concentration levels and size distribution were conducted in the complex hospital system of the Royal Children's and the Royal Brisbane Hospitals in Queensland, Australia. The aim of the measurements was to provide an indication of particulate sources in the hospital environment and relate particle characteristics to the operating parameters of the hospitals. The measurements were performed using the most advanced instrumentation for size classification in the submicrometer and supermicrometer levels.

Gravimetric determination and continuous monitoring of respirable dust in air has revealed that there are high levels of dust at some roadside and indoor locations in urban areas. Furthermore, where high dust levels are measured in roadside samples, high concentrations are also measured in adjacent buildings. The dust levels measured inside a building have been shown to be very closely correlated to ambient levels, and traffic emissions, particularly from diesel vehicles, are the principal source of respirable particulates.

Acceptability of clean air and air polluted by building materials was studied in climate chambers with different levels of air temperature and humidity in the ranges 18-28°C and 30- 70% relative humidity (RH). The acceptability of the air quality immediately after entering a chamber and during the following 20-min whole-body exposure was assessed by 36 untrained subjects who maintained thermal neutrality by modifying their clothing.