English

Germicidal UV (UVC) lamps have a long history of use for inactivation of microbial aerosols. The majority of the literature has considered control of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) in medical facilities. Emphasis has recently been on ventilation duct use of UVC. Under these conditions, infections agents are usually of less concern than environmental organisms. Much less information is available regarding common environmental organisms. The present work reports the ability of UVC lamps to inactivate 7 representative microbial aerosols in ventilation duct conditions.

Published guidelines on mold remediation do not specify sampling protocols to measure the efficacy of remediation efforts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fungal remediation of contaminated ducts by comparing the amount of residual surface contamination to the amount in new ducts. Fungal contamination of galvanized metal and rigid fibrous glass ducts were evaluated using fluorometric and microscopic methods. Fungal contamination was measured in newly installed ducts in addition to pre- and post-remediation. Newly installed ducts had low levels of fungal debris.

Most single-family homes in America today are designed with a single-zone climate control system. This is typically an energy inefficient and ineffective method of conditioning a home. Multi-zone climate control systems are considered to provide improved means of conditioning single-family homes. More so is the case with multi-story homes where thermal balance is difficult to achieve between the lower and upper floors using a single-zone system.

The influence of inhabitants on indoor air quality (IAQ) was studied. The aim of the study was to find out how the inhabitants themselves and their living activities affect the IAQ. The concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3) in indoor air was measured in inhabited and in empty dwellings. A air change rates were also defined. Altogether 24 dwellings were examined. The results were compared with the surface floor area of the dwellings, the number of inhabitants, the number of pets and the absence or presence of smoking.

On March the 1st 2000 the Finnish Tobacco Act was amended, and now includes restrictions on smoking in restaurants and bars. Establishments can reserve a maximum of 50% of their service area for smokers, and the spreading of tobacco smoke into non-smoking areas must be prevented. In addition, the working areas at bar counters have to be smoke-free. 16 restaurants and bars participated in the study both before and after the introduction of the Finnish Tobacco Act.

Restaurant workers have a high risk to be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in their work. In Finland the latest tobacco Act has set more stringent requirements for the smoking in restaurants. Despite of the tightened legislation most of the restaurant employees are still continuously exposed to ETS. Ventilation techniques enable significantly to reduce employees exposure to ETS in hospitality facilities, where smoking is permitted.

The purpose of this study is to quantify the effect of various design and operating parameters on smoking room performance. Twenty-eight experiments were conducted in a simulated smoking room with a smoking machine and an automatic door opener. Measurements were made of air flows, pressures, temperatures, two particle-phase ETS tracers, two gas-phase ETS tracers, and sulfur hexafluoride. Quantification of leakage flows, the effect of these leaks on smoking room performance and non-smoker exposure, and the relative importance of each leakage mechanism are presented.

A variety of strategies have been implemented to protect nonsmokers from second hand smoke; these include separation or restricting smoking to selected areas, installation of air cleaners, increased ventilation, and outright prohibition of smoking. The concentrations of nicotine were measured and examined in different venues as a function of the techniques employed.

In the paper, based on MS Thesis by Julinek, 2001, the authors describe CFD modelling of the natural and mixed convection of air inside the entrance atrium of the Moravian library in Brno, Czech Republic. The eight-floor high atrium is formed with eight galleries, which are linked together with staircase, on one side and with glass wall on the other side. Inside the atrium, combination of natural and forced ventilation is used.

Two new blocks of flats have been built for people with respiratory diseases. A number of points were taken into particular account during the design and construction of the buildings. For example, the project designers and builders were given training in prevention of problems with indoor air, only building materials that had been tested and found to have low emissions were used, and a supply/exhaust ventilation system and a central vacuum-cleaning system were installed.