English

Thermal comfort and air quality were studied in three multi-family buildings located in urban environments. Measurements of air velocities close to the supply devices are presented along with measurements of CO, TVOC, NO and N02. In addition, particle measurements were carried out to check the filter efficiency in one of the buildings (Sl) which is specially designed for people with allergy problems. The total air change rate for this building is higher than for normal residential buildings and three different types of air filter are installed in the ventilation system.

The concept of ventilation effectiveness for mechanical ventilation of an airspace is reviewed and associated parameters for describing the performance of ventilation systems are described. The idea is applied to a study of the thermal environment in the waiting hall of a railway station. Two ventilation schemes: one with a ventilation system only and the other with an air-conditioning system were considered. The proposed air-conditioning system would provide air at a temperature only 5 °C below the ambient but with a higher air circulation rate.

The connection between health and cleanliness is, for most people, a matter of common sense. Office workers report higher rates of discomfort when they perceive a dirty, dusty environment. Research, not surprisingly, shows that certain cleaning methods are effective in reducing dust on surfaces and in reducing the levels of indoor air contaminants. Yet some cleaning practices, like the use of improperly diluted cleaning solutions, are themselves significant threats to good IAQ. As with everything else, there are right and wrong ways to clean.

 The exposure of workers in the near-wake region due to a recirculating airflow was studied experimentally and numerically. A mannequin was installed in an open-ended tunnel and tracer gas was released at several locations downstream to determine the size and location of the reverse flow region. The contaminant transport into the breathing zone was found to depend strongly on the location of the release point. The airflow field was also determined numerically assuming a steady 6ow and using the standard k-£ turbulence model.

Personal exposure in a displacement ventilated room is examined. The stratified flow and the considerable concentration gradients necessitate an improvement of the widely used fully mixing compartmental approach. The exposure of a seated and a standing person in proportion to the stratification height is examined by means of fullscale measurements. A breathing thermal manikin is used to simulate a person. It is found that the flow in the boundary layer around a person is able to a great extent to entrain and transport air from below the breathing zone.

The cabin of a commercial aircraft is a high density environment in which occupants are potentially at risk of airborne transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Trans-continental and trans-oceanic flights are routinely undertaken with hundreds of passengers. During these long flights there is an increased duration of potential exposure to airborne contaminants and bioeffluents. This paper determines a "worst case" risk of tuberculosis infection for the passengers and flight attendants based upon typical design and ventilation parameters of a commercial aircraft.

Sources of indoor air pollutants in residential and office environments can be managed to reduce occupant exposures. Techniques for managing indoor air pollution sources include: source elimination, substitution, modification, pretreatment, and altering the amount, location, or time of use. Intelligent source management requires knowledge of the source's emission characteristics, including chemical composition, emission rates, and decay rates.

People who suffer from airborne respiratory allergies often advised to obtain and rely upon portable HEPA filtered air devices for relief. While this advice may work for some individuals, many allergic people do not experience relief or a lessening of symptoms. For allergic individuals for whom this mitigation strategy is not successful, the manufacturers' claims seem over stated.

This report describes the development of a standard questionnaire for use in investigating sick building syndrome (SBS) in specific cases and in research projects. The questionnaire itself is packaged with the report. It is intended to be used for screening surveys to determine the prevalence of SBS in a particular building. It may be necessary to adapt the questionnaire if it is going to be used for a specific research project or to gather data on particular potential causes of SBS. The focus has been on achieving standardisation within the United Kingdom.