Problems associated with instruments used to measure low levels of NO₂ include non-specificity, low sensitivity, and an uncharacterized dependence on environmental conditions. MDA Scientific has recently introduced a continuous colorimetric tape technique (chemcassette) to monitor for pollutant gases. Advantages of this technology include ease of use, fast-response alarm capability, and adaptability to measure different pollutants. This research characterized and compared chemcassette performance for NO₂ with other low-level NO₂ monitoring technologies including the luminox LMA-3 monitor and the EPA reference CSI chemiluminescnt monitor. The test protocol was based on EPA procedures. The chemcassette was found to be sensitive to temperature and relative humidity effects. The chemiluminescent monitor had the best overall performance. The luminox monitor displayed temperature dependence. Variation in stability of the chemcassette optical system, tape paper uniformity, and possible interference from ozone were characterized. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

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The purpose of this study was to examine the school environment in the municipalities of Malå and Norsjö. The study focused on cleaning, ventilation, classroom noise and illumination which are the most important factors for a good indoor climate and a good working environment in school. The study was performed by inspection of school buildings, questionnaire among school children and measurements of CO2. The result showed that all the visited schools did not meet the Swedish standards for cleaning and ventilation, also sound environment and the illumination had inadequacies in some of the classes. The result also showed that the majority of the pupils were satisfied with the indoor climate and working environment. Of the total percentage of pupils surveyed, 35% of the pupils were unsatisfied with the cleanliness of the toilets and 44% reported that the sound level is perceived as disturbing. The measurements of CO2 showed that all schools had concentrations (ranging from 541-926 ppm) below the Swedish standard (1 000 ppm), nevertheless there was indications that these concentrations may increase during a day. In conclusion this study showed that the indoor environment in the visited schools had inadequacies which may have a negative impact of the pupils. To avoid unhealthy, and from a public health perspective, these inadequacies should be attended.

Energy saving is a highly concerned topic in the developing countries. To achieve a desirable living and working condition for inhabitants while consuming minimum amount of energy, more and more efforts, new technologies are developed and invested in the different industries by countries. It has been discussed that energy use in the building sectors is intensive and has the largest share in the total energy supply. Therefore, a growing number of companies and institutions are either required or voluntary to take energy efficiency measures once a year or more to identify current energy use, as well as the opportunities for energy efficiency improvement. One of the energy efficiency measures is energy audit. This report is aiming at pinpointing the current energy consumption for a joint ventilation system used by five premises in downtown Gävle, Sweden. The building company is planning a renovation for the ventilation system, including a cut down of energy supply while improving thermal comfort by providing adequate ventilation. The main object area is a restaurant, which consumes most energy supply. During the measurements, three sets of equipment (TSI VelociCalc plus, SWEMA FLOW 230 and TSI-AccuBALANCE) were used to collect air flow and temperature data. The results indicate that the current energy use for the joint ventilation system during a year is around 50438 kWh, using recommended ventilation rates; while it can be reduced to 34737 kWh. For the restaurant, the required ventilation rate is 1204 l/s to provide fresh air constantly if it is over 150 people and give ventilation according the standard: 7 l/s p 0.35 l/s m2. The current ventilation rate is only 312 l/s, thus clearly failing to comply with the standard. One viable method for providing enough ventilation rate and at the same time without wasting energy is to install CO2 detector, which regulates the ventilation rate according to the level of CO2 concentration. The studied shops have instead very high ventilation rates in the current system; though this provides good air quality, the energy is wasted unnecessarily.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 520-551. / Photocopy. / Microfilm. / xxi, 551 leaves ill. 29 cm

Since the beginning of the 20th century indoor air has produced distinctive pollution problems. The most critical pollutants in relation to indoor air quality (IAQ) are chemical contaminants which, in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have been identified as arising mainly from building materials. Conventional solutions such as ventilation systems and bake-out processes have been developed, but the IAQ problem, often reported as sick building syndrome (SBS), still persists. This study set out to establish to what extent VOCs may affect the health of occupants in a particular built environment, and how much architectural design factors, the use of particular building materials, and human activities may contribute to the problem of SBS. A further question was to establish to what extent current attempted solutions to IAQ problems, namely ventilation and bake-out, were in practice effective in a specific built environment. While previous research and attempted solutions have focused on work places as areas of concern for SBS, the problem is especially significant in residential housing and is particularly concentrated in post-disaster public housing (PDPH). For this reason the research was based on the case of a PDPH project in Abuta, Japan. To analyse the separate components of the problem, several distinct studies were undertaken. The level of pollutants in the air was analysed by means of chemical sampling of VOCs in two units of the PDPH, while the a SBS survey and assessment of the residents of the entire project, as well as interviews with the building professionals involved was designed to identify the human causes and effects of the situation. The effectiveness of the attempted solutions to the problem were considered by means of a study of the bake-out procedure, and finally an airflow simulation by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was conducted to consider the design and ventilation features of the units in relation to IAQ. The study results have indicated that IAQ problems existed after the completion of construction. It was found that certain VOC levels were far above the guidelines, and the health hazard symptoms known for these VOCs matched the SBS symptoms found in participants??? health complaints. Interviews with building professionals involved in the project revealed that the lifestyles of the occupants were not seriously considered in the project design. The results of the airflow simulation also revealed problematic aspects of the planning design, exacerbating rather than limiting the pollution problem as intended. The study concludes with a number of recommendations for taking these inter-related aspects of the problem into consideration in future, so that the health of residents is not adversely affected.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2007. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering." Bibliography: leaves 140-146.