Ventilation standards and high performance buildings

The strongest justification for lowering ventilation rates would be epidemiological studies that link ventilation and health effects in several building types. In the past 25 years, few studies addressed that question in USA. But Swedish studies that revealed that health risks increased in residences when ventilation rates were reduced could serve as a model for the epidemiological study we need. In the meantime, we must be cautious and not reduce our minimum standards for ventilation rates until the efficacy of these reductions should be demonstrated.