A laboratory for investigation of the air quality in simulated indoor environments.

A laboratory, designed to form the basis for research aiming at increasing the knowledge concerning the interactions between indoor pollution sources and the indoor environment, has been taken into operation. One long term purpose of the activities in the laboratory is to develop theoretical models, based on experimental data, for the prediction of the air quality in real buildings. At present, the experiments focus on the relationship between the emission of pollutants from building materials and the environmental parameters, i.e. air temperature, air humidity, air velocity and pollutant concentration in the air. The measurements include sensory assessments by panels of air quality judges, as well as chemical analyses of a variety of gaseous and vaporized organic compounds. The air-conditioning and ventilation system enables the environment in the laboratory to be controlled with high accuracy, as regards the thermal climate. The temperature and the air humidity in the laboratory can be varied within wide ranges. Low concentrations of polluting gases, vapours and particles in the supply air are ensured by the use of a charcoal filter in combination with a high-grade fine filter. The conditioned and filtered supply air enters the laboratory by a displacement ventilation system, which can be operated either with constant or variable airflow rates. The present paper gives a description of the air quality laboratory and outlines the approach for the indoor air quality research at the Danish Building Research Institute (SBI).