health effects

This article is devoted to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in two low energy houses, with different frames (cast concrete (I-BB) and timber frame (I-OB)) built in platform INCAS of INES (National Institute of Solar Energy -in french: Institut National de l’Energie Solaire). In order to quantify pollutant emissions due to building materials and products, an experimental protocol consisted in stopping ventilation systems -”balanced ventilation”- of each house (a little before and during the measurement campaign), closing doors and windows, and not allowing occupant.

Investigations on the retrospective estimation of radon exposure in homes had already been carried outin international collaboration in the uranium mining regions of Germany since 1994. Following aConcerted Action named "Retrospectively Estimated Radon in Areas Affected by Uranium MiningActivities " was agreed upon.

In buildings growing conditions for mould fungi can occur and cause fungus infestation. Therefore,consequent measures have to be taken to avoid health dangers that come from mould fungi inbuildings. In order to avoid the mould fungus formation, a strategy has to be set up that focuses on thegrowth conditions for mould fungi. While in Germany only relative humidity is used as an assessmentcriterion for mould growth risk, more and more measured isopleths are used abroad.

Repeated measurements were taken in a printers' office where one case of humidifier lung disease had occurred. In water supplies of the office's air conditioning systems, the number of moulds was mainly below 50 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL, the quantity of anaerobic bacteria mostly below 10,000 CFU/mL. Twenty-nine out of the 120 participating employees complained of symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, malaise whose majority was not associated with the workplace. Twenty-eight had IgG antibodies to humidifier antigens prepared from water supplies of the air conditioning systems.

The monitoring of air pollution and health levels was carried out in coal burning districts and the districts with central heating in Chengde City. The air pollution levels in winter and summer were compared in coal burning districts and the districts with central heating, indoors and outdoors, in kitchens and bedrooms, before and after the central heating system was used. The health levels of residents who lived in coal burning districts and in the districts with central heating were compared.