Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

No description available.

No description available.

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Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-75).

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

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.

This is the first time that multidisciplinary research has been conducted in South African music venues. The study investigated biopsychosocial health-related variables affecting workers in music venues giving special attention to sick building syndrome. Monitoring methodologies developed for this investigation can be applied in studies of a wide range of workplace environments. This study also resulted in the design of a questionnaire which provided interpretable data within statistical significance limits. The literature review fully describes the multidisciplinary nature of this research. Long established non-smoking offices were selected as controls. An environmental monitoring system was designed to record conditions whilst questionnaires on staff perceptions were personally administered. Psychosocial variables included job satisfaction, self-esteem, personal confidence and social interaction.Environmental comfort assessments included lighting, carbon dioxide, movement, temperature, relative humidity levels and air movement. Pollution impact monitoring involved noise, respirable aerosols, benzene, toluene, xylene, benzo(a)pyrene, total volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Comfort criteria were exceeded in all music venues which caused stress. Only 21,1% of respondents did not experience tiredness. Respiratory infection was higher in music venue staff than in office staff. Average age of staff in music venues was 25 years and 67,37% were smokers. Certain smokers were experiencing discomfort from tobacco smoke pollution. Tobacco smoke impact was demonstrated: mean benzene level for music venues was 12,9 u/m3 (maximum 42,44 u/m3) and in offices it was 0,606 u/m3 (maximum 1,24 u/m3). Multivariate models for sick building syndrome and allergies included tobacco smoke odour concern and the tobacco smoke indicators, xylene and toluene. Aerosol levels were 1,75 mg/m3 (maximum 45,98 mg/m3 ) in music venues compared to an office mean of 0,02 mg/m3 (maximum 0,58 mg/m3 ). Contributors were tobacco smoke and theatrical smoke. Burning eyes was the symptom causing most concern for 57,89% of respondents. Symptoms that affected 20% and more of the workers were itchy skin, throat irritation, coughing and difficulty in breathing. Tobacco smoke was considered the main stressor. Noise level mean for music venues was Neq 99,67 dB (A). Only 34,7% of the staff considered music noise a stressor, with 16,9% concerned about people noise. The percentage that considered their environment to be polluted was 81,06%, however, only 48,42% felt stressed. Virtually all univariate and multivariate associations between psychosocial and psychophysical variables suggest that satisfaction with psychosocial factors may have a positive influence on staff in places of entertainment. / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1995.

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.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.