RENOVATIONS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE AIR QUALITY IN UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS

This study aims to understand chemical air pollution and its influence on students and staff in auniversity building that had been under renovation for 2 years. Occupants had to move into their newrooms immediately after the renovation work was completed and so could have been exposed tochemical pollutants emitted from architectural materials.We conducted chamber testing to obtain chemical emission rates from interior use materials; whichwere the ones used for the actual work in the university building. The result shows that the combinedfloor materials might emit chemicals, though each material on its own did not.Several kinds of chemicals were emitted from materials and characteristic odors were detected in therenewed rooms. As strategies to remove these odorous chemicals, we examined forced ventilationusing hot-humid outdoor air, and a chemical filter installation in indoor air conditioning units. Throughfield measuring, both methods were shown to be effective as controlling strategies.Questionnaire surveys of teachers about health conditions were collected every summer and wintersince the start of work on the renovations. Comparing results before and after the renovations, nosubjective symptoms were discovered. However, sensitivity against paint odor was seen to haveincreased.