VIP 36: Metrics of Health Risks from Indoor Air

In a recent review of 31 green building certification schemes used around the world, IAQ was found to contribute to only 7.5% of the final score on average. As policy makers strive to reduce the energy demands of buildings by sealing or reducing outdoor air ventilation rates, an unintended consequence could be the reduction in the quality of indoor air with corresponding negative health effects at a population scale. This article summarizes the discussions of an Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre workshop on IAQ metrics held in March 2017.

Air and Pollutant Transport from Attached Garages to Residential Living Spaces - Literature Review and Field Tests

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a study on the indoor air quality (IAQ) impacts and engineering solutions related to the transport of pollutants from attached garages to residential living spaces. Natural or fan-induced pressure differences across air leakage paths in house-garage (HG) interfaces can result in the transport of the contaminants generated in garages into adjacent living spaces.

Analysis of Capture and Containment Efficiency of a Ventilated Ceiling

The efficiency of an exhaust system is especially important in a kitchen environment in which the exhaust is located at ceiling level. The capture efficiency of the total system must be guaranteed so that the spread of impurities throughout the kitchen is prevented. A capture efficiency model is derived and it is used to estimate the efficiency of a ventilated ceiling.

Vers une analyse virtuelle de la qualité de l'air intérieur (Towards a virtual analysis of the indoor air quality)

This paper gives the main results of a thesis whose main objective was the comparison of numerical and experimental values of indoor air quality. The tests were carried out at the CSTB . That thesis has permitted to propose an index for the appreciation of the efficiency of the elimination of pollutants.

Tobacco smoking increases dramatically air concentrations of endotoxin

Endotoxin is one of the most powerful inflammatory mediators known. This explains the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers.In this study, GC-MSMS Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is used to analyze the presence of endotoxin in smoke from active smoking and in environmental tobacco smoke.

Exposure to the mixtures of organic compounds in homes in Japan

This paper describes characteristics of statistical distributions for concentrations of 17 VOCs and 11 aldehydes in homes in Japan. First a probability model was applied to the occupant's simultaneous exposure to the mixtures in homes, then joint probability distributions of 28 organic compounds were generated from the best-fitted distributions of individual compounds.

Standard 62.2. and indoor polllutant sources

The author asserts that to maintain a good indoor air quality, both ventilation and reduction of the pollutants sources are necessary. Standard 62.2 defines the minimum requirements about ventilation for an acceptable indoor air quality, but does not deal directly with the sources of pollutants. So the author gives an inventory of the main indoor air pollutants and how to cope with them. He maintains that the treatment of the pollutants at their source is very often the best way to keep a good indoor air quality.

Application of a simple method for detecting and quantifying VOC sources

The sick house syndrome has become a serious problem in Japan recently. It is important tospecify and quantify the source of chemical pollution. In this study, passive samplers for concentration of chemical substances in the air, ADSEC for emission rate of chemical substances from building materials and PFT method for ventilation rate in a room were developed. These passive methods enable investigation of many houses at a time. Indoor air quality of a newly built house was measured by these passive methods in summer and winter.

Prediction of transient contaminant dispersion and ventilation performance using the concept of accessibility

The method of exposure prediction using the scales of accessibility of supplied air (ASA) and the scales of accessibility of contaminant source (ACS) is presented in this paper. The spreading performance of supplied air and indoor pollutants can be figured out by CFD simulation and then used for the prediction of contaminant dispersion. For the validation of the model, a traver gas measurement was conducted.

On the study of a sick building : the case of Athens Air Traffic Control Tower

Sick syndrome episodes were reported by the employees of Athens Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). In this study recent indoor air quality measurements made in ATCT are presented and discussed. The data indicated that VOCs concentrations were above outdoor levels in certain places of the building, some actions were taken to improve the indoor environment and afterwards a second set of measurements were made, inside and outsite the ATCT building : the results indicated an improvement of the indoor air quality.

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