Indoor air quality guidelines

Various indoor air quality guidelines exist. To determine whether or not a guideline is being met, one can use the ventilation rate formula to evaluate the situation (Eq. 2.21). 

Indoor Air Quality guidelines may set the standards which have to be met in non-industrial, public buildings,... 

Legal Status and Basic Concepts for Indoor Air Quality Guidelines... 

Indoor air quality guidelines and standards are in the making and have not yet reached a mature state, but it seems that all provisional standards which have been put into force in the past have served fairly well as an initial point for improvements. This can be demonstrated with reference to indoor air pollution by formaldehyde, wood preservers or halocarbons, which decreased significantly after introducing and enforcing the respective standards. 

With this in mind, scientific endeavors and regulatory efforts in the development of more sophisticated and conclusive indoor air quality guidelines will undoubtedly provide support for practical activities aimed at preserving and improving comfortable and healthy conditions in the indoor environment. 

Seifert B., Levin H., Lindvall T. and Moschandreas D. (1993) A critical review of criteria and procedures for developing indoor air quality guidelines and standards. In Indoor Air 93. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Helsinki, Vol. 3, 465-470. 

Nagda, N.L. (1999) Guidelines for Monitoring Indoor Air Quality, Taylor and Erancis Inc. 

The use of direct steam injection into air is a common method of increasing humidity levels for both commercial and industrial applications. The process kills most types of bacteria and similar organisms that may contribute to fouling, health, or other indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Where amines are present in the steam, however, even small concentrations can be detected by their odor and may be objectionable, even though they may be well under guidelines for concentrations in air. 

Table 12.6-1 lists the common indoor air pollutants, their sources and health impacts. Information for indoor VOCs is listed in a separate Table 12.6-2. A summary of indoor air quality standards and guidelines for different countries is presented in Table 12.6-3.

Table 12.6-3. Summary of indoor air quality standards and guidelines for different countries.

WHO (2006) Development of WHO guidelines for indoor air quality, Report on a working group meeting Bonn, De 23-34 Oct, 2006, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark. 

ENV (1996) Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises, Ministry of the Environment, Singapore. 

This sets the context for examining air quality in museums currently important discussions hinge around the identification of frameworks, definitions and the forms of guidelines or standards for indoor air quality from the perspective of cultural heritage (Tetreault, 2003 Grzywacz, 2006). These will be discussed in Section 12.9.1. 

Further information about the indoor environment is found in Axelrad et al., (1995) and Spengler et al., (2001). Further discussions of the principles of setting guidelines for indoor air quality (IAQ) can be found in Cochet et al., (2006). 

European Commission (1991) Guideline for the characterization of volatile organic compounds emitted from indoor materials and products using small test chambers. Indoor air quality and its impact on man. Report no. 8. European Commission, Luxembourg... 

Seifert B (2000) Ways to specify, reach and check guideline values for indoor air quality. Healthy buddings 2000, Helsinki, Finland, vol 4, pp 3-11... 

ASHRAE (1996) Standard 62-1989R proposed Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality. Appendix C Air quality guidelines - informative. ASHRAE, Atlanta, USA... 

This book presen ts practical information about the subject of indoor air pollution. Included is information about howto plan an indoor air quality measurement proyam, howto implement the program, and standards and guidelines for indoor air quality. 

EC-European Commission (1989) Formaldehyde Emission from Wood Based Materials Guideline for the Determination of Steady State Concentrations in Test Chambers. Indoor Air Quality and its Impact on Man. Report No. 2, Luxembourg. 

Regulations and guidelines for indoor air quality may be grouped into three categories, dealing with... 

Commission of the European Communities (ed) (1992) Guidelines for ventilation requirements in buildings. European Concerted Action Indoor Air Quality Its Impact on Man, Report No. 11. ECSC/EEC/ EAEC, Brussels/Luxembourg. 

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