Infiltration and air quality in well-insulated homes: 3. Measurement and modeling of pollutant levels.

Indoor pollutant levels in well-insulated houses are being investigated in a 2-year theoretical and experimental study involving the simultaneous measurement of meteorological variables, air exchange and circulation, and energy consumption. This paper describes concentrations of radon, radon progeny, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides observed in two houses over two seasons, summer and fall 1983. Two companion papers provide a perspective on the problem and the study design, and present results of energy use and infiltration measurements.

Indoor air pollution in Japanese buildings.

Under the provisions of the Law for Maintenance of Sanitation in Buildings, the "Building Sanitation Control Standards" came into force subsequently. The air quality standard, one of these Standards, is composed of the following 6 items: Suspended particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity. Since the enactment of the law, we have surveyed actual conditions of indoor environment for these 13 years, and found the percentage of buildings which failed to come up to the standards.

Indoor air pollutants: exposure and health effects.

Reviews current knowledge about the sources of a number of indoor pollutants and their concentrations: tobacco smoke, NO2, CO, radon, formaldehyde, SO2, CO2, O3, asbestos, mineral fibres, organics and allergens. Lists the adverse health effects from exposure to each of the pollutants. Finds instrumentation for measuring exposure acceptable, but monitoring and knowledge of distribution of sources and concentrations inadequate or marginal. Knowledge of exposure-effects relationship is inadequate, especially with regard to delayed effects of chronic exposures.

Long-term monitoring of indoor air quality and controlled ventilation in public buildings.

Long-term monitoring of radon, aerosol and carbon dioxide concentrations was carried out in two Finnish public buildings. In each case, a distinct periodic behaviour of pollutant concentrations was observed. CO2 and aerosol showed maxima during the working hours, but the fluctuations of the aerosol concentration were faster and more irregular. The radon concentration peaked at night and on weekends, dropping off rapidly in the working day mornings when ventilation was turned on.

Residential indoor air quality, structural leakage and occupant activities for 50 Wisconsin homes.

As part of an investigation into the influence of a residential weatherization program on indoor air quality and energy efficiency, a multi-pollutant survey of the air inside 50 Wisconsin homes was conducted three times during the heating season

Field survey of indoor air pollution in residences with suspected combustion related sources

Thirty residences were monitored for nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, respirable suspended particles, and air exchange rate for forty-one one-week periods using integrating samplers. The residences were located in the northwest a

Sampling and monitoring toxic gases in indoor environments

A discussion of different approaches to indoor air pollutant monitoring is presented. Indoor sampler design criteria are outlined. Grab samplers, personal samplers, passive and single-use devices, and in-situ measurement instruments are compared to novel, syringe/adsorbent tube samplers. These instruments provide automated, sequential, time-averaged collection of avariety of indoor pollutants, including hydrocarbon/halocarbon organic vapours, CO, CO2, HCOH, tobacco smoke, combustion and odorous mixtures, and particulate matter. In addition, the samplers can be used in infiltration studies.

Characterization of particulate and organic emissions from major indoor sources

As our understanding of human exposure to air pollutants improves, it is becoming increasingly evident that indoor environments play a critical role in determining exposures. However, it is not possible at the present time toestablish the relative contribution of indoor and outdoor sources to personal exposures, nor can the contribution of specific indoor emissions be quantified. To address these issues, a chamber experiment was initiated to measure particulate and organic emissions from important indoor sources.

A pilot study to obtain 24-hour air pollution exposure profiles

A pilot study was conducted using workers from a semiconductor plant. Describes the methods used to acquire and evaluate air pollution exposure data for significant environments (including workplace, in-transit, and residence) to which workers are exposed throughout a typical 24-hour day. Summer andwinter measurements were made on products of combustion, radon, respirable particulates, and a variety of organic compounds including methylene chloride.

Modeling and measurement of pollutants inside houses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mathematical models for predicting indoor pollutant levels are being developed and compared with measured concentration in three residential dwellings - a relatively new townhouse constructed according to rigid energy-conservation guidelines,

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