Reviews the possible indicators for monitoring the indoor air quality and controlling the outdoor air intake. The technical feasibility of the system is also discussed. At present CO2 seems to be the best and most reliable indicator for indoor air quality when occupancy load varies. In future, however, it is likely that measuring devices based on semiconductor technology and measuring devices for particles will be more reliable and inexpensive and so very suitable for controlling the air quality, because they can take into account both occupancy load and tobacco smoke.
The influence of air infiltration and window opening on the indoor air quality in Austrian residential buildings was investigated. During the heating season, air infiltration plays a major role in securing hygienic conditions of indoor air and acts as basic ventilation. Air tight windows in new or renovated buildings do not provide this basic ventilation and can give rise to poor indoor air quality unless acceptable fittings for permanent ventilation are provided. Window opening can not replace the effect of permanent ventilation but plays a role as comfort ventilation.
Identifies sources of gaseous, vaporous, particulate (inert and viable) and radioactive contaminants within nine functional categories of a hospital. Preliminary criteria for control purposes are recommended, and available methods of control are reviewed. It is concluded that control of gases, vapours and radionuclides may be as important to occupant well-being as control of viable particulates, and that air distribution patterns within and between rooms are as important to dilution and removal control as the quantity of air supplied to the rooms.
The participating countries of Annex IX "Minimum Ventilation Rates" study emission rates and time dependence for building materials and their dependence on various factors including human behaviour; indoor transfer and interactions; control and air treatment; modelling indoor pollution including economic and social factors; strategies for indoor air pollution control under the restraints of energy conservation. The results of this international programme will be pooled to produce recommendations for guidelines.
Person-equivalent flames are used to test the performance of ventilation taking account of human occupancy. The resulting carbon dioxide concentration is measured. Standardised bottle gas burners were found to be the most suitable gas sources. Candles were also examined and standardised for thepurpose. Possible risks are also discussed.
Direct gas fired heated make-up air is used in industrial buildings to replace exhausted air and to achieve a comfortable temperature while avoiding draughts. This study presents the results of an investigation of the pollution from such a system under different conditions.
The sink or removal rates for two reactive indoor air contaminants (NO2 and SO2) were evaluated in an environmental chamber as a function of material type (painted sheetrock, wallpaper and carpeting), variable surface area of the material, relative humidity and air mixing. Sink rates for SO2 are generally higher than those for NO2. The sink rates for NO2 and SO2 were found to increase with material surface roughness and material surface area. Increases in relative humidity had a pronounced positive impact on SO2 sink rates and a smaller but significant impact on NO2 sink rates.
The influence of air change and ageing on emissions from 5 different building materials were studied. It was concluded that increasing the air change rate in a rather leaky house was of practically no importance in preventing problems caused by emissions. It was also assumed that a reduction of the air change rate in a tight house may result in a considerable increase in the concentration of substances in the room air. For all 5 materials, the emission rate decreases with time.
General principles of air movement around buildings are stated, indicating where windy areas are likely to occur. Case studies are then described in detail, and lessons to be learnt from these are summarised. Descriptions of wind tunnel measurements around simple model buildings are followed by accounts of the use of meteorological wind data and of the effects of wind on people. A method of predicting wind conditions around a building is developed. Some notes on wind tunnel investigations are given.
Covers indoor pollutant levels and their health effects in humans and animals for five principal classes of pollutant: radon, microorganisms, passive cigarette smoke, combustion products, and organic compounds. They are examined from viewpoints such as measurement and source characterisation habitat studies, health effects, risk analysis, and future needs.
Login