LoginThe impact of dry indoor air on comfort and health in winter was investigated in a crossoverintervention study in two floors of an office building in northern Sweden. The indoor airhumidity (normally 10-20% RH) was raised to 23-24% RH, one floor at a time, using steamhumidifiers. Questionnaires and objective (clinical) measurements were applied. Thefollowing effects of increased humidity were significant, though small: the air was evaluatedas less dry (though still on the dry side of neutral), eyes smarted less (by 10% of full scale)eye irritation decreased (by 11%), symptoms of dry throat, mouth, lips and skin were reduced,and it was easier to concentrate. The results confirm similar laboratory findings in 5 hexposures (Fang et al., 2003, reported at this conference) to 2 week field exposures, but as theeffects observed were again small, they do not provide sufficient justification for installinghumidifiers.
Objective and subjective responses to low relative humidity in an office intervention study
Year:
2003
Bibliographic info:
Healthy Buildings 2003 - Proceedings 7th International Conference (7th-11th December 2003) - National University of Singapore - Vol. 3, pp 162-168, 1 Fig., 3 Tab., 9 Ref.