References
1. World Health Organisation 1989 Indoor air quality organic pollutants. EURO reports and studies no 111. World Health Organisation, Copenhagen, p 1 2. European Collaborative Action on Indoor Air Quality and its Impact on Man 1997 Total volatile organic compounds TVOC in indoor air quality investigations. Report no 19, EUR 17675EN. Luxembourg Office for Official Publications of the European Community 3. Singer BC, Hodgson AT, Guevarra KS, Hawley EL, Nazaroff WW 2002 Environ Sci Technol 36 846...
Air Sampling Sedimentation Plates
The detection of airborne spores of fungi and bacteria is quite demanding, since many aspects have to be considered, the most important being complete sampling of all biological airborne particles without discriminating between certain groups of microorganisms. Sampling should be performed in a gentle manner, since most detection methods target cultivable microorganisms. Airborne microorganisms usually weakened by drying or UV radiation may no longer be cultivable after impact sampling, which...
Emission Test Cell
It is often desired to have a device for a quality control of products with regard to emissions arising during the utilisation phase. To enable action to be taken during the production process as quickly as possible, fast emission investigations accompanying the production process would be a worthwhile objective. Owing to the high apparatus expenditure involved in test chamber investigations many manufacturers are forced to send their postproduction samples to testing institutes that possess...
Origins of Indoor Airborne Particles
A large number of sources contribute to ambient airborne particulate matter and include motor vehicles, power plants, wind-blown dust, photochemical processes, cigarette smoking and nearby quarry operation. Particles encountered in indoor air can be generated from either indoor or outdoor sources. The indoor sources of particles include - Occupants which are humans and pets contributing to air pollution through functions natural to life processes or through activities conducted . There is a...
Health Effects Associated with Biomass Fuel Smoke
Evidence for health effects associated with exposure to smoke from combustion of biomass fuels was provided initially by studies on outdoor air pollution as well as by studies dealing with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Criteria documents for outdoor air pollutants published by the USEPA 13 , for example, detail the effects of many components, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Considerable scientific...
Analytical Methods
General aspects of strategies to measure biocides in indoor air are given in guidelines, for example, by the VDI Association of German Engineers 60, 61 . Sampling of biocides like aldrin, allethrin, chlordane, chlorpyrifos, cyflu-thrin, cypermethrin, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, deltamethrin, diazinon, dichlorvos, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hepatchlorepoxide, lindane y-HCH , PCP, permethrin, o-phenylphenol, propoxur and tetramethrin in air is generally performed by passing air through an adsorbent...
Human Nose Versus Electronic Nose
The development of instruments, an artificial nose or an electronic nose, that can evaluate the air quality as the human nose does is an ongoing activity. Many attempts have been made, some successful for the purpose they are designed for, others not. The reason is not only related to the still incomplete knowledge of the perception mechanism information processes in the brain , but also to the fact that the nose is able to detect very low concentrations. The lowest odour detection level that...
Diffusion Models
As noted by several authors 24-29 , sink models based solely on adsorption theories fail to account for other important phenomena. Axley 24 provided equations for diffusion processes, both within the boundary layer adjoining the sinks and within the sinks themselves, which describe the behavior of indoor sinks. Little and Hodgson 26 presented a strategy for characterizing homogenous, diffusion-controlled sinks using heat transfer analogies. Jorgensen et al. 27 presented a sink diffusion model...
Increasing Public Awareness of the Importance of Indoor Air Quality
A key factor in reducing indoor air pollution is an improvement in public information. To increase public awareness of how individual activities and consumer choices affect the environment could make cleanup efforts more successful. More public information is also helpful to keep the public interested in current environmental issues and to foster their sense of responsibility to work for a better and greener world. It would also increase public pressure for pollution reforms, which would in...
Odor Detection by the Mold Sniffer Dog and Humans
Since 1999 specially trained dogs, so-called mold sniffer dogs, have been used for the rapid detection of hidden mold damage. They detect damage in areas not only at their level but also on indoor ceilings. Their usefulness has not been scientifically evaluated, but there are reports on their successful use in such procedures 67 . No decisions about rehabilitation should be made solely on the basis of detection by the sniffer dog 14 . Odor perceived by humans is not a quantitative measure for...
Adsorption and Desorption of Pollutants to and from Indoor Surfaces
IAQ Consultant, 210 Hummingbird Lane, Macon, NC 27551, USA tichenor gloryroad.net 1.1 Vapor-Phase Organic 1.2 Other Indoor 2 Adsorption Desorption 2.2 Fundamental 3.1 Adsorption Models 3.2 Diffusion Models 3.3 Properties Affecting Sink 4 Experimental 4.1 Test Methods and Protocols 4.2 Chamber Studies 4.3 Full-Scale Studies 5 Experimental 5.1 Adsorption Desorption Rates 5.2 Model Validation 6 Indoor Air Quality Model Studies References Abstract Adsorption and desorption of indoor air pollutants...
Indoor VOC Guidelines
According to M0lhave 103 ,A guideline is a set of criteria i.e. standards for making judgements specifically assembled to indicate threshold levels of a harmful or no noxious agent consistent with the good health. The first notable attempt to provide some guidelines for indoor VOCs was made by Seifert 104 , in which he classified indoor VOCs into alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, terpenes, halocarbons, esters, aldehydes and ketones excluding formaldehyde and proposed that - TVOC should not exceed...
References Fkv
1. Lacey J 1994 In Singh J ed Building mycology. Management of decay and health in buildings. E amp FN Spon. Chapman and Hall, London, p 77 2. Solomon WR 1975 J Clin Allergy Clin Immunol 56 235 3. Ebner MR, Haselwandter K, Frank A 1992 Mycol Res 96 117 4. Pieckov E, Jesensk Z 1999 Ann Agric Environ Med 6 1 5. Tabak HH,Cooke WMB 1968 Bot Rev 34 126 6. Reiss J 1986, 1997 Schimmelpilze - Lebensweise, Nutzen, Schaden, Bek mpfung. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York 7. Yang CS 1996 Fungal...
Solvents
The wide variety of common solvents and film formers aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, glycols, alcohols, Table 5 still represents a very important group of emitting compounds, as freshly manufactured products may cause high SERA values. On the other hand, they do not have any chemical reactions under normal conditions, unless so-called reactive solvents e.g. styrene are involved. An important exception is 2,4,7,9-tetra-methyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol T4MDD , which is...
References 1
1. World Health Organization 1989 Indoor air quality organic pollutants. EURO reports and studies 111. World Health Organization, Copenhagen 2. European Commission 1997 Total volatile organic compounds TVOC in indoor air quality investigations. Indoor air quality and its impact on man. Report no 19. European Commission, Luxembourg 3. Tichenor BA 1989 Indoor air sources using small environmental test chambers to characterize organic emissions from indoor materials and products. US EPA, report no...
Indoor Air Sources
The possible sources of indoor air pollution can be categorised into - Outdoor sources traffic, industry. - Occupant-related activities and products tobacco smoke, equipment laser printers and other office equipment , consumer products cleaning, hygienic, personal care products . - Building materials and furnishings insulation, plywood, paint, furniture particle board , floor wall covering, etc. In the European Audit project to optimise indoor quality and energy consumption in office buildings,...