Indoor air quality.

Reviews some of the factors which cause indoor air pollution. Includes a general introduction to the subject, lists of prevailing air pollutants and their sources, detailed data from research and stnadard methods of air analysis, a study of the relationship between indoor pollution concentration and health effects and current regulatory trends, especially in the USA.

Clean ducts. Rena kanaler.

Reports on symposium in Belgrade, 1978, on the consequences of blocked and contaminated ventilation ducts. Notes current research by Swedish Building Research Council into hospital ventilation systems and other work on aspects of contamination and its effect on efficiency. Also reports on investigations into ventilation in housing. Diagrams illustrate various parameters and the effect of cleaning and contamination on airflow and efficiency. Considers economic periodicity of cleaning. Stresses importance of cleaning heat exchangers. Article concludes with a subject bibliography.

Health and comfort aspects of indoor climate. Helse - og trivselaspekter med inneklima.

Health problems have occurred after the introduction of building regulations with stricter requirements for airtightness. Reviews work done to improve problems associated with the thermal environment and human heat balance, building and installation conditions; the chemical environment and human awareness of pollutants; medical aspects; radon radiation; microbiological conditions; energy savings, air quality and efficient ventilation; thermal insulation and airtightness; static electricity and toxic gases from building materials and the problems of low ventilation rates.

Radon and health risks. Radon och halsorisk.

Discusses radon risks in housing and carcinogenic effects. Compares background radiation as part of our natural environment and the effects of radon gas on building materials. Notes effects of reduced ventilation designed to reduce energy consumption and its influence on the frequency of cancer.

Tight building syndrome - is it hot air?

States that many health complaints attributed to tight buildings (tight building syndrome) may be alleviated by slightly lowering the thermostat. Discusses the ISO draft proposal DP7730 which defines comfort limits in buildings for occupants according to several comfort parameters.

Pollutants, odours and ventilation - sick buildings. Forurensninger, luktstoffer og ventilasjon - syke bygninger.

Despite having balanced mechanical ventilation, a large number of modern buildings in Sweden have unsatisfactory indoor climate. Problems include mould, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, skin rashes, feelings of dryness, hoarseness andheadaches. To control ventilation according to requirements the right indicator variable must be selected and the system must permit the proper control in the occupied zones. Measurements of air pollutants were carried out outside and inside a mechanically ventilated office building.

A study of the working environment in animal rooms.

Studies the ventilation of 9 air-conditioned animal rooms used for both housing and experiments. Samples dust, measures ventilation rate by anemometers and by tracer gas decay, and uses settle plates to determine the number of airborne bacteria. Detects a high amount of pariculate matter emanating from the animals which might sensitize personnel working in these rooms. Previously, attention has been paid to the ventilation requirements of the animals but where people also spend several hours in animal rooms then safety conditions for staff must be considered.

Health and comfort problems in air conditioned office buildings.

Undertakes experimental studies to identify antecedent conditions of various health and comfort problems experienced by office workers in sealed, air conditioned buildings in New York City and Vancouver. Tries to relate building characteristics (paricularly of lighting and ventilation) to prevalence andincidence of reported health and comfort problems. Finds that changing both lighting and ventilation simultaneously results in a 31.2% reduction in reported eye irritation.

Residential energy conservation measures, air quality, exposure to chemicals at work and health.

Uses social survey data to test the hypothesis that residential energy conservation measures have the effect of reducing air quality in the home and have a subsequent deleterious effect on the health of the residents. A measure of exposure to harsh chemicals at work is tested for its effect on health. Finds small but detectable amounts of carbon monoxide in more than half of the 173 homes surveyed. The CO levels are higher in homes with unvented kerosene or gas space heaters and homes with smokers present.

Human exposure to radon decay products inside dwellings in the United Kingdom.

Presents the contents of a memorandum of evidence to the Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution. Treats exposure of the community to radiation caused by radon decay products in indoor air, which contributes about a third of the overall effective dose equivalent received annually by an average person in the UK. Treats surveys to improve the estimate of indoor exposure. Discusses the possibility of a radon limitation scheme.

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