The aim of that study was to determine whether there was a quantifiable difference in biocontaminant levels between one school with a carpeted floor and another school with hard surface floor. During one year, air and floor dust samples were collected and analyzed. The results suggest that floor covering is not the major contributor to airborne levels of biocontaminants in nonproblem schools.
Five methods of sampling lead dust where tested for that study in 33 New Jersey homes of children with blood problems.Samples were collected on the carpets of the different homes. Among the five sampling methods used then compared (wipe, adhesive label, C18 sheet, vacuum, hand rinse) the first one appeared the most appropriate for measuring lead from carpets for exposure assessment, and vacuum the most recommended for collecting information on total lead accumulation.
An intervention study was carried out in eleven elementary schools in Trondheim, Norway. Three schools with poor ventilation standard, four schools with carpets, and four reference schools participated. Carpets were replaced by vinyl flooring and the poor ventilation systems were upgraded. Altogether 1100 children aged twelve to thirteen years and 400 teachers were all included in the study. The baseline registration of health related symptoms was performed during January/February 1997. The questionnaires were repeated, after the interventions, in February 1998 and 1999.
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.
The role of indoor climate factors on symptoms of the sick building syndrome was studied in Copenhagen, Denmark. Altogether, 2369 office workers completed questionnaires in 14 buildings, whose indoor climate was measured. The results were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses of the multifactorial effects on the prevalence of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms among the office workers.
This paper deals with the simulation of VOCs concentration dispersion emitted from flooring material, with the purpose of understanding vocs emission and dispersion mechanisms. A test chamber is examined, whose flooring material emits a number of VOCs. Given the area specific ventilation rate and considering as boundary conditions experimental data for the examined compounds concentration, the dispersion of the vocs concentrations is examined, for two cases, steady state conditions and transient state conditions.
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