Human exposure to nitrogen dioxide can have adverse health effects. Policymakers need accurate information on the number of people exposed, the severity and patterns of exposure and the health-related effects of the exposure, in order to assess health risks and bring in appropriate control strategies. Data from central monitoring sites have been used in the past to establish air pollution exposures. Attempts to provide a realistic estimate of nitrogen dioxide exposures.

A study was done to obtain a general understanding of the mechanisms involved in the emissions from building materials in ventilated rooms. The investigation was based on fundamental fluid dynamics and mass transfer theory. Also proposed a generally applicable method for the prediction of surface emissions. No particulate emissions were analysed, and the work focused on the emission of vapours and gases. Numerical calculations by CFD and full-scale laboratory experiments were used.

States that emission rate of organic compounds from building materials varies according to the type of material, material loading, compound emitted, temperature, humidity, and ventilation rate. For most materials, the relationship between emission rate and these variables is not available. Describes research with the use of small test chambers aimed at developing data on emission rates from several building materials.

A study was made of the time dependence of the emission of organic compounds from a polyamide floor covering with styrene-butadiene-rubber backing in three climate chambers at 23 deg. C and 45% relative humidity. Volatile compounds such as toluene reach a maximum concentration of the gas phase in one hour, decreasing to less than 2% in 60 hours, while less volatile compounds decrease slowly over several months. Observed concentration do not depend on the chamber size, the wall material and air velocity provided the chamber is well mixed and a defined chamber loading is maintained.

States that failures in electronic equipment can be caused by volatile organic compounds. Detailed observations from a three year study of VOCs at a telephone switching office in Neenah, Wisconsin, USA are presented and data are included on matched indoor and outdoor VOC measurements, and corresponding data on HVAC fan operation and ventilation rates. The small number of occupants in the office enabled the study to assess factors influencing VOC levels without complications of human behaviour.

The study aimed to evaluate the emission of volatile organic compounds from air filters. In the first part of the project, carbonyl compounds were measured by reacting them with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. HPLC and UV detection were used for the analysis. Laboratory experiments used pieces of used and unused HVAC filters, incubated in test chambers. The used filters used in the experiments were from a filter bank of a large HVAC system in the middle of Berlin, Germany.

Presents the method and example results for the determination of organic air emissions from a common indoor material. Sample materials were ventilated at controlled air change rates, temperature and relative humidity using a well instrumented and characterized stainless steel test chamber. Tenax filled glass cartridges were used to analyse the chamber outlet air stream, which are than thermally desorbed for further concentration onto a Nutech model 8528 purge and trap system and desorption to a packed column gas chromatograph.

States that carbon dioxide measurements are commonly used to indicate fresh air in a building, also particulate levels. The study's aim was to evaluate the relationship between carbon dioxide and particulate levels and subjective human responses in office building without previous or present indoor air problems. Six separate ventilation zones were defined and carbon dioxide and particulate measurements taken with direct-reading instruments. A self-reporting questionnaire, designed in Sweden was used for the subjective human responses.

The Office Illness Project in Northern Sweden was completed in 1994. It comprised a screening questionnaire study of 4943 office workers and a case-referent study of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in 464 subjects. Female gender, asthma/rhinitis, high psychosocial work load, paper and visual display terminal work have all been related in previously published results to an increased prevalence of sick building syndrome symptoms.

A cross-sectional questionnaire and field study of 160 Swedish office buildings and 260-2649 respondents (with case controls and prevalence comparisons) was made to assess the possible links between ventilation types, outdoor air flow rates and symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome. The ventilation rates proved to be higher than those required by most building codes and consisted of outdoor air inflow of 17 14L/p and 2.0 1.3 air changes/h.