Indoor air quality has become a challenge together with the global aim &lsquo / decreasing energy consumption&rsquo / . Increasing insulation levels of building envelopes but implementing inaccurate building system details has caused excessive heat, accumulation of pollutants, etc. in spaces. In terms of educational spaces, the increase in complaints and illnesses due to unfavorable indoor air conditions leads to a decrease in concentration and so academic performance of students and staff. In the context, the aim of the study was indicating the poor indoor air quality conditions caused by inadequate fresh air supply in crowded educational spaces and making recommendations for the improvement. In the study, a classroom and a design studio in the METU Faculty of Architecture building were investigated. In order to examine the existing situation, at two locations of each room the temperature, relative humidity and CO2 were continuously recorded between 13 September 2011 and 24 February 2012 and air speed for ten-day periods between 26 November 2011 and 5 January 2012. The evaluation of the collected data indicated that both of the rooms had temperature, so relative humidity and CO2 accumulation problems mainly due to insufficient fresh air supply in the winter period. In order to eliminate the poor conditions in the rooms, the needed outdoor air can be provided through the inlet openings coupled with fan coils, which are in existence but not in use.

Microbial growth is a major cause of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems. The implications of mold growth range from unacceptable musty smells and defacement of interior finishes, to structural damage and adverse health effects, not to mention lengthy litigation processes. Mold is likely to occur when a favorable combination of humidity, temperature, and substrate nutrient are maintained long enough. As many modern buildings use products that increase the likelihood of molds (e.g., paper and wood based products), reported cases have increased in recent years. Despite decades of intensive research efforts to prevent mold, modern buildings continue to suffer from mold infestation. The main reason is that current prescriptive regulations focus on the control of relative humidity only. However, recent research has shown that mold occurrences are influenced by a multitude of parameters with complex physical interactions. The set of relevant building parameters includes physical properties of building components, aspects of building usage, certain materials, occupant behavior, cleaning regime, HVAC system components and their operation, and other. Mold occurs mostly as the unexpected result of an unforeseen combination of the uncertain building parameters. Current deterministic mold assessment studies fail to give conclusive results. These simulations are based on idealizations of the building and its use, and therefore unable to capture the effect of the random, situational, and sometimes idiosyncratic nature of building use and operation. The presented research takes a radically different approach, based on the assessment of the uncertainties of all parameters and their propagation through a mixed set of simulations using a Monte Carlo technique. This approach generates a mold risk distribution that reveals the probability of mold occurrence in selected trouble spots in a building. The approach has been tested on three building cases located in Miami and Atlanta. In all cases the new approach was able to show the circumstances under which the mold risk could increase substantially, leading to a set of clear specifications for remediation and, in for new designs, to A/E procurement methods that will significantly reduce any mold risk.

Indoor air quality has become an important health concern due to the number of indoor pollutants and the realization that even minimal exposures to volatile organic compounds may produce direct or indirect adverse health outcomes. Young people are most vulnerable to these poisonous chemicals as they spend much of their times indoors at homes, schools, nurseries and in day care centers. Exposure to volatile organic compounds indoors has been related to asthma and other respiratory symptoms. The adverse effects of air pollution on respiratory health in South Durban have been described in a number of studies. In 2000, a study in the South Durban Basin at Settlers Primary School demonstrated both a high prevalence of respiratory diseases amongst schoolchildren as well as an association between ambient air pollutants and other adverse health outcomes. The South Durban Health Study subsequently undertook a health risk assessment and an epidemiological study investigating this association further on behalf of the eThekwini Municipality. The study highlighted that relatively moderate ambient concentration of N02, NO, PMIO and S02 were strongly and significantly associated with a reduction in lung function among children with persistent asthma. Moreover, attending primary school in South Durban was significantly associated with increased risk from persistent asthma when compared to schools in North Durban. METHODS The descriptive study measured the total volatile organic compound levels within selected homes and schools of asthmatic children in South and North Durban. Recommendations for reducing or mitigating indoor total volatile organic compound exposures were made. The study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from the South Durban Health Study. The monitoring for total volatile organic compounds within homes and classrooms was undertaken using passive samplers during a 72-hour period and analyzed using a gaschromatography/ mass spectrometry method. Temperature and humidity was assessed using temperature and humidity sensors. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 13. The dataset comprised 140 total volatile organic compound samples from homes and 14 from classrooms. Total volatile organic compounds were measured in microgram per cubic meter (g/m3), temperature in degrees Celsius and relative humidity in percentage of moisture. RESULTS Total volatile organic compounds with levels in households ranging from 17g/m3 to 1440g/m3 and in classrooms ranging from 48g/m3 to 5292g/m3 were measured. The mean levels detected were significantly different in homes and classrooms / Thesis (MMed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Potential determinants of exposure to culturable airborne fungal and bacterial aerosols and carbon dioxide were examined as an aid to the interpretation and evaluation of indoor air quality assessments. Concentration measurments for culturable bioaerosols and CO2 were evaluated against published standards and guidelines. METHOD: All 39 schools from one British Columbia school district were enrolled in the study to ensure different building ages and construction materials, but the same maintenance protocols, were included. Schools were randomly assigned to winter, spring or fall sampling. Data collected included: number of occupants and patterns of occupancy, CO2 levels, temperature and relative humidity, total suspended particles, and air exchange rates using tracer gas (SF6) decay. Other characteristics of the classrooms included the presence or absence of forced air heat, carpets, live animals or aquaria, plants, and the siting of the school or portable classroom. Culturable indoor and outdoor aerosols of fungi and bacteria were collected. Determinants of exposure were modelled by constructing multiple linear regression equations for indoor fungi, indoor bacteria and indoor carbon dioxide. RESULTS: The multiple regression models were able to explain a considerable proportion of the variance for the outcomes of interest (total R2 = 0.59 for mesophilic fungi, 0.61 for bacteria, and 0.68 for CO2). Increased outdoor temperature and outdoor fungal counts were associated with higher concentrations for indoor fungi. Variables describing ventilation and conditions of occupancy were significant to all outcomes of interest but functioned differently in the models. For example, fungal concentration was higher in the presence of natural ventilation, but lower with increased mechanical ventilation. In contrast, CO2 was lower with both ventilation types, and lower with higher outdoor temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Using variables measured during an indoor air quality investigation, predictive models can be constructed which are useful in identifying determinants of bioaerosol and bioeffluent concentrations. Ranges of bioaerosol and bioeffluent concentrations for high occupancy buildings in a coastal temperate zone may differ from guidelines written for other indoor settings and climate zones.

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Syftet med enkätstudien var att undersöka hur en omfattande renovering av en lågstadieskola Huutoniemen ala-aste ändrade elevernas subjektiva upplevelse av skolmiljön samt elevernas besvär och symptom. Som jämförelse undersöktes även en referensskola Palosaaren ala-aste som redan tidigare hade genomgått en omfattande renovering. Synpunkter och annan information insamlades med en standardiserad och prövad enkät utarbetad av Yrkesmedicinska kliniken i Örebro, Sverige. Enkäten delades ut till samtliga ca 470 elever i skolorna före och efter renoveringen och vid samma tidpunkt av åren 1997 och 2000. Tekniska mätningar av inomhusluftens CO2, relativa fuktighet och temperatur gjordes före och efter renoveringen och på samma tid av året i 6-8 klassrum/skola. Elevernas svar (Huutoniemen ala-aste) från tiden före renoveringen 1997 jämfördes med motsvarande svar efter renoveringen 2000. På samma sätt jämfördes elevernas svar i Huutoniemen ala-aste och elevernas svar från referensskolan år 1997. Resultatet testades med SPSS med Chi Square test av beroende (p&lt;0,05 eller p&lt;0,01). Elevernas subjektiva bedömning av skolmiljön i formav luftkvalitet, utrymmen, temperatur städning, belysning och bullerförhållanden var sämre i objektskolan än i referensskolan men blev signifikant bättre efter renoveringen. Prevalensen av elevernas hösnuva och långdragna hostperioder var högre i objektskolan än i referensskolan men minskade signifikant efter renoveringen. Prevalensen av elevernas nuvarande symtom av huvudvärk samt besvär av ögonen var högre i objektskolan än i referensskolan men minskade signifikant i objektskolan efter renoveringen.Elevernas subjektiva bedömning av skolan somorsak till nuvarande symtom: trötthet, huvudvärk, besvär av ögonen eller näsa, hosta, besvär av hud i ansiktet, fjällning/klåda i hårbotten/öron samt torr/kliande rodnad hud på händerna var högre i objektskolan än i referensskolan men minskade signifikant efter renoveringen. Medelvärdet av CO2 minskade i den renoverade skolan drastiskt under lektioner från en nivå 2220ppm till 870 ppm och var efter renoveringen på en ungefär samma nivå som i referensskolan. Renoveringen av Huutoniemen ala-aste har givit mycket bättre skolmiljö för elever och lärare. / The aim of the questionnaire study was to investigate what kind of changes a large renovation of the primaryschool Huutoniemen ala-aste had for the subjective experience of the environment as well as complaints and symptoms of the pupils. The reference school was the primary school Palosaaren ala-aste in which a major renovation was made earlier. The opinions of the pupils and other information were collected with a standardized and verified questionnaire produced byClinic of Occupational Medicine in the City ofÖrebro, Sweden. The questionnaire was sent to over 470 pupils in both schools before and after the renovation at the same time of the year in 1997 and 2000. Technical measurements of CO2, relative humidity and temperature in the indoor air were made before and after the renovation and at the same time of the year in 6-8 classrooms/school. The answers of the pupils in Huutoniemen ala-aste from the time before the renovation 1997 were compared to the answers after the renovation in 2000. In a similar way answers of the pupils in Huutoniemen ala-aste were compared to the answers from the reference school in 1997. The results were tested by the SPSS with Chi Square test for independence (p&lt;0,05 or p&lt;0,01). The subjective evaluation of the pupils of the environment as air quality, rooms, temperature, cleaning, lighting and noise were significantly worse in the object school than inthe reference school but became significantly better after the renovation. The prevalence of hay fever and long periods of cough duringthe previous yearwere significantly higher in the object school than in the reference school but were reduced significantly in the object school after the renovation. The prevalence of the present symptoms with headache and eye irritation was higher in the object school than in the reference school but was reduced in the object school significantlyafter the renovation. The subjective view whether the school was the cause of the present symptoms as tiredness, head-ache, eye irritation, symptoms of the nose, cough and the skin of the face and itch/tickle on the hair scalp/ears and symptomsof the skin of the hands were higher in the object school than in the reference school but were reduced significantly after the renovation. The medium level of the CO2 decreased dramatically in the object school during the lectures froma level of about 2220 ppm to about 870 ppmafter the renovation and was approximately at the same level as in the reference school. The renovation of the primary school Huutoniemen ala-aste gave a much better environment in the school for the pupils and teachers. / <p>ISBN 91-7997-108-3</p>

Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a semi-airtight (the building only utilises mechanical means to ventilate the occupied spaces however an airtight seal is not established as a result of infiltration due to building design) office building that is situated in central Johannesburg that exclusively uses a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for ventilation. This implies a system that only utilises mechanical ventilation to heat, cool, humidify and clean the air for comfort, safety and health of employees. This includes the control of odour levels, and also the maintenance of carbon dioxide (CO2) below stipulated levels. Methods: The building is divided into two sections; west and east. Each section has its own ventilation supply. A randomisation process was used to ascertain which offices needed to be sampled, in which section as well as on which floor. For this study, five offices per section were measured. Thus, ten offices per floor were measured and measurements were taken on every second floor. All measurements were done in accordance with the specific requirements of the manufacturer of any specific instrument used and measurements were taken over an eight hour period (full work shift). Results were compared to the available standard, as well as compared to the ambient concentrations. Results: None of the monitored contaminants’ concentration were above the provided standards (ASHRAE or ACGIH). Where standards were unavailable, the HVAC system maintained an indoor contaminant concentration that is substantially lower when compared to the outdoor air concentrations. Conclusion: The buildings’ HVAC system maintains indoor air quality at a healthy level it is unlikely that any one of these contaminants may lead to SBS amongst the employees. / MSc (Occupational Hygiene), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The objectives of this study are to determine the non-methane volatile organic carbon emissions from the parts used in the interiors of buses at different temperatures and to analyze the components of these emissions. The total non-methane volatile organic carbon (NMVOC) concentrations in various sections of a bus were measured in order to determine the indoor air pollution in the bus. Different samples of the materials used in the interior parts of the buses were provided by the manufacturing company and they were tested in the METU Air Pollution Laboratory in order to see what hydrocarbon components make up this total NMVOC concentration.The results of experiments showed that the leading constituent emitted from the test pieces was toluene. Benzene concentration was very low. This is very important since benzene is a carcinogen and it has very low indoor concentration limits determined by OSHA and NIOSH. When the concentrations of the total NMVOC emitted from various parts are examined, it was seen that the most of the VOC emissions occur from the floor materials and ventilation channel. After measurements were done in two buses the average indoor total NMVOC concentrations were found as 21.15 &plusmn / 5.8 ppmv (as C3H8) and 46.04 &plusmn / 9.2 ppmv (as C3H8) in the first and second bus, respectively. Suggestions were made to the manufacturing company for some replacement of solvents and adhesives, and measurements were repeated with the newly manufactured parts for the bus. The highest concentrations were observed for toluene in these measurements, too. However, the toluene concentration was at least 40% lower than the initial values. Benzene concentrations were again very low. The average indoor total NMVOC concentrations were found as 10.41 &plusmn / 2 ppmv (as C3H8) in the measurements done in the bus decorated with new materials. This concentration was about 50% and 25% of the values measured in the first and the second bus at the beginning of the study, respectively.

The understanding of human exposure to indoor particles of all sizes is important to enable exposure control and reduction, but especially for smaller particles since the smaller particles have a higher probability of penetration into the deeper parts of the respiratory tract and also contain higher levels of trace elements and toxins. Due to the limited understanding of the relationship between particle size and the health effects they cause, as well as instrument limitations, the available information on submicrometer (d < 1.0 µm) particles indoors, both in terms of mass and number concentrations, is still relatively limited. This PhD project was conducted as part of the South-East Queensland Air Quality program and Queensland Housing Study aimed at providing a better understanding of ambient particle concentrations within the indoor environment with a focus on exposure assessment and control. This PhD project was designed to investigate comprehensively the sources and sinks of indoor aerosol particles and the relationship between indoor and outdoor aerosol particles, particle and gaseous pollutant, as well as the association between indoor air pollutants and house characteristics by using, analysing and interpreting existing experimental data which were collected before this project commenced, as well as data from additional experiments which were designed and conducted for the purpose of this project. The focus of this research was on submicrometer particles with a diameter between 0.007 - 0.808 µm. The main outcome of this project may be summarised as following: * A comprehensive review of particle concentration levels and size distributions characteristics in the residential and non-industrial workplace environments was conducted. This review included only those studies in which more general trends were investigated, or could be concluded based on information provided in the papers. This review included four parts: 1) outdoor particles and their effect on indoor environments; 2) the relationship between indoor and outdoor concentration levels in the absence of indoor sources for naturally ventilated buildings; 3) indoor sources of particles: contribution to indoor concentration levels and the effect on I/O ratios for naturally ventilated buildings; and 4) indoor/outdoor relationship in mechanically ventilated buildings. * The relationship between indoor and outdoor airborne particles was investigated for sixteen residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, in the absence of operating indoor sources. Comparison of the ratios of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations revealed that while temporary values of the ratio vary in a broad range from 0.2 to 2.5 for both lower and higher ventilation conditions, average values of the ratios were very close to one regardless of ventilation conditions and of particle size range. The ratios were in the range from 0.78 to 1.07 for submicrometer particles, from 0.95 to 1.0 for supermicrometer particles and from 1.01 to 1.08 for PM2.5 fraction. Comparison of the time series of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations showed a clear positive relationship existing for many houses under normal ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and above 2 h-1), but not under minimum ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and below 1 h-1). These results suggest that for normal ventilation conditions and in the absence of operating indoor sources, outdoor particle concentrations could be used to predict instantaneous indoor particle concentrations but not for minium ventilation, unless air exchange rate is known, thus allowing for estimation of the "delay constant". * Diurnal variation of indoor submicrometer particle number and particle mass (approximation of PM2.5) concentrations was investigated in fifteen of the houses. The results show that there were clear diurnal variations in both particle number and approximation of PM2.5 concentrations, for all the investigated houses. The pattern of diurnal variations varied from house to house, however, there was always a close relationship between the concentration and human indoor activities. The average number and mass concentrations during indoor activities were (18.2±3.9)×10³ particles cm-³ and (15.5±7.9) µg m-³ respectively, and under non-activity conditions, (12.4±2.7)x10³ particles cm-³ (11.1±2.6) µg m-³, respectively. In general, there was a poor correlation between mass and number concentrations and the correlation coefficients were highly variable from day to day and from house to house. This implies that conclusions cannot be drawn about either one of the number or mass concentration characteristics of indoor particles, based on measurement of the other. The study also showed that it is unlikely that particle concentrations indoors could be represented by measurements conducted at a fixed monitoring station due to the large impact of indoor and local sources. * Emission characteristics of indoor particle sources in fourteen residential houses were quantified. In addition, characterizations of particles resulting from cooking conducted in an identical way in all the houses were measured. All the events of elevated particle concentrations were linked to indoor activities using house occupants diary entries, and catalogued into 21 different types of indoor activities. This enabled quantification of the effect of indoor sources on indoor particle concentrations as well as quantification of emission rates from the sources. For example, the study found that frying, grilling, stove use, toasting, cooking pizza, smoking, candle vaporizing eucalyptus oil and fan heater use, could elevate the indoor submicrometer particle number concentration levels by more than 5 times, while PM2.5 concentrations could be up to 3, 30 and 90 times higher than the background levels during smoking, frying and grilling, respectively. * Indoor particle deposition rates of size classified particles in the size range from 0.015 to 6 µm were quantified. Particle size distribution resulting from cooking, repeated under two different ventilation conditions in 14 houses, as well as changes to particle size distribution as a function of time, were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS), and a DustTrak. Deposition rates were determined by regression fitting of the measured size-resolved particle number and PM2.5 concentration decay curves, and accounting for air exchange rate. The measured deposition rates were shown to be particle size dependent and they varied from house to house. The lowest deposition rates were found for particles in the size range from 0.2 to 0.3 µm for both minimum (air exchange rate: 0.61±0.45 h-1) and normal (air exchange rate: 3.00±1.23 h-1) ventilation conditions. The results of statistical analysis indicated that ventilation condition (measured in terms of air exchange rate) was an important factor affecting deposition rates for particles in the size range from 0.08 to 1.0 µm, but not for particles smaller than 0.08 µm or larger than 1.0 µm. Particle coagulation was assessed to be negligible compared to the two other processes of removal: ventilation and deposition. This study of particle deposition rates, the largest conducted so far in terms of the number of residential houses investigated, demonstrated trends in deposition rates comparable with studies previously reported, usually for significantly smaller samples of houses (often only one). However, the results compare better with studies which, similarly to this study, investigated cooking as a source of particles (particle sources investigated in other studies included general activity, cleaning, artificial particles, etc). * Residential indoor and outdoor 48 h average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 48h indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and the approximation of PM2.5 concentrations were measured simultaneously for fourteen houses. Statistical analyses of the correlation between indoor and outdoor pollutants (NO2 and particles) and the association between house characteristics and indoor pollutants were conducted. The average indoor and outdoor NO2 levels were 13.8 ± 6.3 ppb and 16.7 ± 4.2 ppb, respectively. The indoor/outdoor NO2 concentration ratio ranged from 0.4 to 2.3, with a median value of 0.82. Despite statistically significant correlations between outdoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.014, p = 0.008), there was no significant correlation between either indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations (p = 0.428), or between indoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.252, p = 0.465,). However, there was a significant correlation between indoor NO2 concentration and indoor submicrometer aerosol particle number concentrations (p = 0.001), as well as between indoor PM2.5 and outdoor NO2 (p = 0.004). These results imply that the outdoor or fixed site monitoring concentration alone is a poor predictor of indoor NO2 concentration. * Analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant association between indoor PM2.5 and any of the house characteristics investigated (p > 0.05). However, associations between indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and some house characteristics (stove type, water heater type, number of cars and condition of paintwork) were significant at the 5% level. Associations between indoor NO2 and some house characteristics (house age, stove type, heating system, water heater type and floor type) were also significant (p < 0.05). The results of these analyses thus strongly suggest that the gas stove, gas heating system and gas water heater system are main indoor sources of indoor submicrometer particle and NO2 concentrations in the studied residential houses. The significant contributions of this PhD project to the knowledge of indoor particle included: 1) improving an understanding of indoor particles behaviour in residential houses, especially for submicrometer particle; 2) improving an understanding of indoor particle source and indoor particle sink characteristics, as well as their effects on indoor particle concentration levels in residential houses; 3) improving an understanding of the relationship between indoor and outdoor particles, the relationship between particle mass and particle number, correlation between indoor NO2 and indoor particles, as well as association between indoor particle, NO2 and house characteristics.

Economic development brings about urbanisation which may result in rapid housing expansion. The health and well-being of communities is often not considered as a priority of urbanisation with the pressure for developing better economies. Sustainability principles in housing developments are perceived to be able to enhance and to improve the quality of living. The approach to sustainability can, however, be interpreted and prioritised differently. Many developing countries such as Malaysia are depending upon industrialisation for the development of their economies. Continuing urbanisation and industrialisation in these countries indirectly creates tensions between the need for a better built environment, and the push for economic growth. One specific phenomena in Malaysia is the introduction of the mixed-use urban neighbourhood, whereby residential development is netsled within the industrial establishments. On one hand, this helps to create job opportunities and improve the local economy. On the other, it creates concerns in the relations to the house planning, and to the well-being of the residents. These have potential exposures to industrial activities that are associated with environmental problems, such as, poor air quality, local temperature increases, and excessive noise levels. This research applied the current international trends of sustainability practices in housing development in searching for the most appropriate strategies for developing sustainable residential-industrial neighborhoods. Cross reference to other countries strategies and experiences can be adaptation for Malaysian conditions. A residential-industrial community in the city of Pasir Gudang Johor, Malaysia, has been selected as a case study in order to examine the perceived problems of indoor environmental quality in such environments. The result of a questionnaire survey and in-situ measurement indicates that they are facing indoor environmental problems. A set of recommendations for housing guidelines which are tailored for local Malaysians conditions have been identified, and have potential for improving the housing development guidelines and policies for mixed-use community living. Comprehensive strategies will need to be developed to achieve housing development sustainability goals. The development of Master Planned Communities (MPC's) is suggested to be appropriate mechanism to developing planning controls. This will ensure the improvement of indoor environmental quality of living in residential-industrial housing developments in Malaysia. It is anticipated that this research will make a positive contribution to developing decision-making procedures that are appropriate to achieving the goals of sustainable housing development in relation to mixed-used residential housing, It is also expected that this research will assist in establishment of a unified national sustainable housing strategy, and in the rationalised adoption of a master planned community approach.