Summarises in tables the energy consumptions of a block of flats and a single house demonstrating how the share of energy consumed for fresh air heating and domestic hot water supply increases significantly in line with improved thermal insulation.

Notes that the Department of the Environment is considering the implications of imposing limits for the maximum annual dose of radiation to which occupants of existing and new homes should be exposed, as recommended by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in its report of 1984. Describes radon's properties and origins in buildings, where levels are at least ten times higher than outdoors. The occupants of some homes, chiefly on granitic soils, receive up to 100 times the national average dose from radon. Explains the units used when discussing radon.

Describes the pollutant burdens on indoor air. Notes heat exchanges by air renewal and associated heat losses. Examines how to determine the required air change rate. Lists the minimum air changes for various types of building with and without smoking. Treats air infiltration. Considers how to reduce losses with air renewal by weather stripping, special air inlets, reduction of the indoor air temperature, heat recovery with controlled mechanical ventilation, heat pumps and heat pipes.

The U.S. EPA initiated an indoor air monitoring program in 1982, concentrating on commercial or public-access buildings (homes for the elderly, schools, and office buildings). Several buildings from each category are sampled over 2-3 day peri

Notes the considerable savings in heating energy that could be made if ventilation rates could be modulated so that only the requirements of the actual number of occupants was supplied. Explains how this can be done by ventilating to maintain a constant concentration of carbon dioxide. Describes carbon dioxide monitoring system based on infrared absorptiometry. Illustrates diagrammatically the layout of a cinema ventilation system which monitors carbon dioxide levels and explains its operation. Notes other buildings where the system is used.

Examines the most important sources of indoor air pollution in dwellings. These include pollutants introduced with the outside air, pollutants generated by human activity, emissions from building materials, furnishings, cleaning and polishing materials and disinfectants. Notes the importance of keeping formaldehyde and carbon dioxide down to safe levels. Discusses the consequences for the minimum room air change rate.

Describes a novel modification of stroboscopic illumination used to give an unambiguous record of the direction of the flow in an otherwise conventional visualisation of a complex three dimensional air flow. The flow was seeded with small soap bubbles which were viewed by scattered light. Each flash of light was split into two periods of unequal length, separated by a short extinction, thereby marking the direction of flow on the photographs. The technique allows a more complete determination of the velocity field than can be obtained by the usual stroboscopic method.

Within the last ten years, energy shortages, economic pressures, and changes in indoor environmental requirements have resulted in buildings that are more energy efficient but less forgiving, environmentally. These results indicate that energ

Describes a simple device which pressurises an enclosed volume of air adjacent to individual components in the building fabric. The air flow through the crackage is measured and the interdependence of the flow rate and pressure is examined. Windows, floors, loft traps and suspended ceilings are examined. A simple relationship is found to be applicable to individual components but no universal relationship is found for a general range of components with superficially similar cracks.

A report from the research and development programme Domestic Ventilation is presented. Describes quantitative and qualitative experimental investigations in two flexible test houses of identical size, structure and thermal insulation to compare various ventilation installations and devices under natural weather conditions. The comparative criteria were air infiltration rates and air change, ventilation heat losses, operational behaviour, possible requirement of auxiliary energy, problems and weak points.