English

Outlines an updated, expanded tool, NEAT 7.0 which can be used to determine the most cost-effective retrofit measures for single-family homes and is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and comfort levels. Its list of recommended measures and the cost and savings information shortcuts the retrofit planning process.

States that office environments vary in the type of air quality problems they present and that contamination levels fluctuate depending upon the tasks being performed and the frequency of these operations. Describes research which used a common protocol to study the air quality within 256 buildings and provided an account of the state of health in buildings within the UK. Only 15% of the buildings surveyed achieved optimum environmental conditions. Outlines the importance of sick building syndrome problems in relation to possible suits and vacation of premises.

Describes how a physical compartmental model (INTAIR) has been parameterised to estimate PM10 concentrations and has been used to assess the contribution of smoking to PM10 levels for typical homes in the UK. Concludes that smoking activity at home increases the daily mean concentrations in the living room by 1-1.5 microgrammes per m3 per cigarette smoked, and that this may contribute significantly to personal exposures to PM10.

Describes an assessment using carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds as IAQ indicators for indoor air quality in a representative underground parking facility. Measurements were made at different time intervals throughout the day. The EMFAC7F1.1 model was used to estimate vehicular emission factors. Concentration profiles were then assembled using a transient mass balance model.

Outlines a 'healthy house' design for suburban Australia. The design incorporated a tight building envelope and a ducted mechanical ventilation (and heat recovery) system, providing a minimum ventilation rate of 0.35 air changes per hour. Partial filtration and dehumidification of the air was also included. Low-VOC building materials were chosen. Total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations were approximately 4,000 microgrammes per m3 just after construction, decreasing by a double-exponential model to 300 microgrammes per m3 by eight months, which is good.

Considered a wide range of indoor and outdoor urban microenvironments in a study of the concentrations of 15 volatile organic compounds. For most VOCs, mean concentrations in cars exceeded those at heavily trafficked roadside locations. No correlation was found between indoors and outdoors, though concentrations were higher indoors. As a consequence, in poorly ventilated buildings, indoor emission source strength is considered a more significant influence on concentrations of VOCs in indoor air than outdoor air concentrations.

Describes a survey investigating the levels of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, respirable particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mutagenicity in the PM5 fraction, as well as temperature and humidity, inside 24 houses in La Pintana, Santiago. An additional survey covered symptoms, signs and respiratory diseases possibly associated with socio-economic factors in the area.

Looked at seven residential buildings in northern England to analyse the causes of short-term variations in particle number concentrations. High short-term peak concentrations arose from cooking, smoking and physical activity. The loss rate of particles after emissions stopped depended on the particle size range. The relative importance of deposition and air exchange in particle loss rates were quantified by simultaneous measurement of particle number concentration and air exchange rate.

States that many environmental parameters need to be considered when assessing the quality of the air in an indoor environment, with an emphasis on clear definitions. Outlines the factors that determine IAQ and provides guidance on how to design an appropriate sampling strategy for organic compounds in the vapour phase. Reviews the present state of development of European and international standards for methods of measurement of indoor air pollutants.

Describes a simple design tool called the 'office building module' (OPTI), which is intended to help building professionals to incorporate the impact of design choices on energy consumption when designing a project. Emphasises the importance of the program's user-friendliness, minimisation of data and speed. Dynamic thermal programs are needed to compute energy needs and estimate overheating. Current programs suffer from slowness and the need for large amounts of data.