English

Considers points including: ventilation and money, the best ways to control indoor air pollution, how much air is enough for ventilation, how far pollutants affect people, notes on asbestos and risks, industrial hygiene and "sick buildings", indoor air pollution vs outdoor air pollution.

The Bonneville Power Administration began to look into indoor air quality in 1981 when it planned an extensive weatherization programme. Alternatives were examined for increasing energy savings without increasing health risks. Itwas found that house tightening could increase existing pollutant concentrations in a home by up to 30%. Scientists estimated that each year,between two and thirty five people in every hundred thousand develop cancer from exposure to indoor air polluted by benzo-(a)-pyrene, radon, and formaldehyde.

Discusses the policy making process in relation to indoor air issues, and the difficulties experienced in defining risks.

Discusses the public's knowledge of indoor air quality and their sources of information, including word of mouth and the media.

Looks at some studies that have been done to see if the retrofits have actually changed indoor air quality and changed pollutant concentrations. The first study (1981) of 18 homes in Washington state used the house doctor technique. The second study was of two homes in Medford, Oregon and one in Cranbury, New Jersey, all monitored for two weeks. The third study was of two identical houses in Rockville, Maryland, monitored over a year. One of them was retrofitted using the house doctor technique, as a result of which air leakage dropped by 40%. A fourth study of fifty houses is mentioned.

Discusses the need for and current state of standards for indoor air quality, and the various organisations responsible for setting them in the USA. Particular reference to ASHRAE standard 62-1981 and 62-1974.

Discusses sick building syndrome in office buildings. Poor ventilation is frequently blamed, although in 60% of cases, no specific cause can be identified, because of symptoms which are non-specific, and the vast variety of substances present in the air. Similarly, factors contributing to disease are not restricted to pollutant levels only. Procedure for examining causes of sick building syndrome are suggested. Describes checking of different kinds of ventilation system, and the importance of outside air intake. Describes problems of both local and central ventilation systems.

Discusses the physical, chemical and biological effects that moisture can have on indoor air pollutants such as formaldehyde, radon, aerosol particles, minerals from concrete, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, polyurethane, microbes and organic vapours.

Describes briefly California's Indoor Air Quality program, the importance of safeguarding indoor air quality, effects of particles on health, particularly inhalable and respirable particles, indoor air quality problems such as'building related illness', the determinants of indoor air quality, mitigating measures, including ventilation, source removal or substitution, source modification, air purification, and behavioural adjustments to reduce exposures (avoidance).