A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of the sick building syndrome (SBS) among office workers in Mauritius. A walk-through inspection and a questionnaire survey were carried out in 21 office building complexes to evaluate the prevalence of risk indicators for SBS symptoms among 302 office workers. Indoor climatic variables monitored were: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, air temperature, relative humidity, air movement, noise and light. All data collected were analysed using the EPl-info software.
Nosocomial infectior1s are a major problem in many hospital buildings, with ,approximately 10% of patients acquiring such an infection during a hospital stay. Airborne transmission is one of the important routes for a number of nosocomial pathogens. To combat this proq,lem there are a number of engineering control strategies, such as the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation and advanced ventilation techniques, which can be used. This paper outlines the 'state of the art' in air disinfection, and reviews recent research work in this field.
Ventilation is essential for the maintenance of good indoor air quality, although there is evidence to suggest that energy loss through uncontrolled or unnecessary air infiltration is excessive. In this study; estimates are presented for air change (ventilation and infiltration) energy use in non-industrial buildings for 13 countries. Various methods are used for the estimates, but they are mainly based on calculating the total annual enthalpy change needed for the conditioning of air. The potential for reduced energy use by improved ventilation control is also briefly reviewed.
Painting large objects like cars or trucks usually generates high levels of pollution that can be eliminated by operating in a closed painting booth equipped with a blowing ceiling which produces a vertical ventilation flow. When the process does not allow the work to be carried out in a completely confined space (in the presence of a travelling crane for example) one of the only ways to remove pollution is the ventilated area. A basic ventilated area is merely a floor area of an industrial premises located above a pit equipped with an air exhaust system.
A currently unresolved problem in building design is the paradox between increasing demand for good thermal insulation, and the requirement for ample levels of ventilation, to maintain a healthy indoor environment. A possible solution to this problem is a supply air 'ventilated' window. This utilises an airflow between panes to pre-heat ventilation air to the building, and to reduce thermal convection losses, thus reducing the window Ue-Value.
This work presents a field measurement study, investigating the airtightness of 64 French dwellings less than ten year old. Buildings have been classified according to the type of construction (masonry or timber frame) and of occupancy mode (multi- or single- family). Using a fan-depressurization technique, we assessed the air leakage rate of each dwelling, based on a theoretical flow model that relates the infiltration airflow rate to the differential pressure .
Ventilation requirements for vehicular tunnels in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are discussed. For vehicle emissions, carbon monoxide is considered to be important for vehicles running on petrol engines, and suspended particulates for diesel engines. Other environmental control parameters are temperature, air speed and air pressure. Codes, regulations and design guides for ventilation systems are reviewed. Different ventilation designs adopted in local vehicular tunnels are described.
As heat exchanges through building envelopes and undesirable internal gains have been reduced in the last years due to energy conservation efforts, the importance of the energy needed to heat, cool and move outdoor air for ventilation has increased in relative tem1s. This study, developed within the European project TIP-VENT (JOULE) aims to study the impact of ventilation air flow rates upon the energy needs of typical buildings. Five real buildings were selected as case-studies: A hotel, an auditorium, an office building, a single-family residence and an apartment building.
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