Twelve energy-efficient houses in Eugene, Oregon, USA, were measured for effective leakage area using blower door fan pressurization. Air exchange rates over a period of several hours were determined by tracer gas decay analysis.
In the past several years measurements of radon and its daughters made in residential buildings in the USA indicate that in some situations the potential health hazard to the occupants of buildings from inhalation exposure can be significant.
The effects of retrofitting for building tightness, air-to-air heat exchangers, and HVAC circulation fans on radon and radon progeny levels were investigated using two matched test houses.
There are three general categories of techniques for the control of radon and radon progeny concentrations in indoor air - restriction of radon entry, reduction of indoor radon concentrations by ventilation or air cleaning, and removal of airborne radon progeny.
This paper describes the procedures used in residences for rapid grab-sample and time-dependent measurements of the air-exchange rate and radon concentration: the radon source magnitude is calculated from the results of simultaneous measurements of these parameters. Grab-sample measurements in three survey groups comprising 101 US houses showed the radon source magnitude to vary approximately log-normally with a geometric mean of 0.37 and a range of 0.01 to 6.0 pCi/l/h.
An energy-efficient residence in Mt. Airy, Maryland, USA, was monitored for aldehydes and radon in order to develop relationships between air infiltration rates and contaminant levels. One fifth of the measured formaldehyde concentrations were in the range that may cause health concerns. These concentrations were measured under very low air infiltration rates. Increased ventilation was effective in reducing high concentrations. Use of the heat exchanger led to an increase in the air infiltration rate which resulted in a substantial reduction of formaldehyde levels.
Provides general information on indoor air pollution sources, the pollutants commonly found indoors and their potential health effects. Contains chapters on formaldehyde and other household contaminants, radon, particulates, combustion products, smoking, energy-efficient buildings, control of indoor air pollutants, air quality in office buildings, and legal and regulatory issues in the USA. Further sources of information are given.
Reports on project designed to illustrate building and ventilation solutions which are or which can be expected to reduce the radon daughter content in indoor air in existing buildings or to prevent excessive radon daughter contents in newly-
The Aardvark automated system has been developed for continuously measuring the air-exchange rate and 222Rn (radon) concentration in an occupied residence. The air-exchange rate is measured over 90 min intervals by tracer gas decay using sulphur hexafluoride as the tracer gas.
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