English

Reviews important sources of indoor air pollutants, and discusses ways of measuring the contaminants emitted by the presence of man in a room. In a test chamber the carbon-dioxide and the odour intensity were measured as a function of room occupancy and ventilation rate. When the supply of fresh air was12-15m*3 per person per hour, the CO2 concentration was less then 0.15% and the odour intensity was evaluated only as a `slight annoyance'. Higher ventilation rates are necessary if increased physical activities and smoking is done in the rooms.

Notes research carried out over the last five years in the EMPA sponsored by the Swiss Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection. The aim of the investigation is to elaborate appropriate guidelines for the construction of the building envelope and to develop appropiate guidelines for the construction of the building envelope and to develop appropriate calculation methods for ventilation heat losses. Discusses the main approaches of the various investigations. Gives a brief outline of the individual stages of the research in the EMPA in recent years.

Notes that number of houses with radon content exceeding 400 Bq/m*3 is probably far in excess of original estimates. States requirements for new built houses and permitted levels in existing housing. Improved ventilation can reduce risks arising from use of certain building materials now prohibited. Gives details of loans available to combat problem and refers to publication issued by Institute for Radiation Protection on how to assess risk from natural sources and building materials.

Notes that a considerable amount of energy escapes past external doors and the simplest way to avoid this loss is to make sure that doors close properly. Illustrates methods to achieve tight doors and considers inadequacies of certain door closers. Considers potential for development and improvement of heated sluices.

Discusses relatively simple and inexpensive method for ventilating house foundations to reduce radon based on results of a trial on detached housing in Sweden. Principle is to extract radon gas from the ground before it enters living accomodation. Table shows radon daughter intensity before and after corrective measures.

Presents new data acquired by experiments on the ventilation rates and the indoor air pollution caused by combustion in the dining-kitchens of sound-insulated houses. Ventilation rates were measured by means of tracer gas decay, using CO2 and CO as the tracer gases. Indoor air pollution was estimated from the elevation of CO and CO2 levels, and the effect of supply or exhaust fan systems on the control of ventilation was deduced from the level of air pollution and ventilation rates.

Reviews the overall aims and methods of the Conservahome Project, devised under the joint initiative of the Saskatchewan Office of Energy Conservation and the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation. The primary aims of the Project are to:< 1. Define the technical and economic problems of retrofit by conducting retrofit work on 6 houses< 2. Use the 6 houses as demonstration centres< 3.

Describes more then 35 kinds of small inexpensive exchangers from countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, and Sweden heat exchangers are designed to expel stale air with full recovery of the heat energy in the outgoing air. Includes detailed information on indoor pollutants, a directory of manufacturers, distributors and experts, an index of trade names, a bibliography and a subject index.

The purpose of the study was to identify the air tightness levels of a group of 176 houses in Saskatoon, using a pressure test procedure. The houses were categorized according to age, air tightness levels, construction style and contractor. It was found that age was the most significant variable affecting airtightness.

Very little quantative information is available for the amount of air infiltraton in New Zealand houses, but recent measurements by the New Zealand Meteorological Service indicate greater rates in windy conditions then in North America.A tracer gas technique was used in determination of air infiltration, and experimental results from typical New Zealand timber framehouses at several sites are presented.