Philomena M. Bluyssen

Why, when and how do HVAC - systems pollute the indoor environment and what to do about it ? The European AIRLESS project

From 1998 to 2000, a European project named AIRLESS was conducted by 12 institutes, universities and companies from seven European countries. The objective was to develop strategies, principles and protocols to improve and control the performance of HVAC-systems and its components for incorporation in codes and guidelines. The first step was to define air pollution caused by and/or originating from HVAC-systems, to investigate ways to prevent this pollution and to define strategies to keep this pollution away. A summary of this first phase of the AIRLESS project is presented.

Actions to Reduce the Impact of Construction Products on Indoor Air: Outcomes of the European Project HealthyAir

The European project — HealthyAir is a network project involving six institutions in Europe on actions and activities that address the effects of construction products on indoor air. Different ways to improve indoor air quality were reviewed, ranging from source control to education of occupants on how to manage the built environment to achieve healthy and acceptable indoor air. Through literature study, organised workshops with scientific experts and building professionals as well as via interviews with three stakeholder groups: producers of construction products, architects and housing corporations; requirements for information, guidance and actions to improve indoor air quality were identified. These requirements formed the basis of a possible approach to improve indoor air quality: education and awareness, regulations and policies and further research and development.

EPIQR and IEQ: indoor environment quality in European apartment buildings

In the frame work of the European project EPIQR (energy performance, indoor air quality, retrofit), European apartment buildings were investigated with a newly developed tool called EPIQR. This tool is aimed at assessing information on refurbishment and retrofitting needs of apartment buildings. This package is, however, not only meant to identify the possible refurbishment/retrofitting needs but also to identify the possible improvements that can be made to result in a better indoor environment and a lower energy consumption. As part of the EPIQR tool (a user-friendly software programme), procedures and methods were developed to be able to investigate indoor environment quality (IEQ) in apartment buildings. Among others a questionnaire was developed. In this paper the methods and instruments related to IEQ developed for EPIQR are described and the results of the field study in the apartment buildings are reported and analysed [P.M. Bluyssen, EPIQR: IEQ part of EPIQR from 1 June 1996 to 1 June 1998, TNO Report 98-BBI-R0844, May, 1998].

Perceived Indoor Environment and Occupants' Comfort in European "Modern" Office Buildings: The OFFICAIR Study

Indoor environmental conditions (thermal, noise, light, and indoor air quality) may affect workers’ comfort, and consequently their health and well-being, as well as their productivity. This study aimed to assess the relations between perceived indoor environment and occupants’ comfort, and to examine the modifying effects of both personal and building characteristics. Within the framework of the European project OFFICAIR, a questionnaire survey was administered to 7441 workers in 167 “modern” office buildings in eight European countries (Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain). Occupants assessed indoor environmental quality (IEQ) using both crude IEQ items (satisfaction with thermal comfort, noise, light, and indoor air quality), and detailed items related to indoor environmental parameters (e.g., too hot/cold temperature, humid/dry air, noise inside/outside, natural/artificial light, odor) of their office environment. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relations between perceived IEQ and occupants’ comfort. The highest association with occupants’ overall comfort was found for “noise”, followed by “air quality”, “light” and “thermal” satisfaction. Analysis of detailed parameters revealed that “noise inside the buildings” was highly associated with occupants’ overall comfort. “Layout of the offices” was the next parameter highly associated with overall comfort. The relations between IEQ and comfort differed by personal characteristics (gender, age, and the Effort Reward Imbalance index), and building characteristics (office type and building’s location). Workplace design should take into account both occupant and the building characteristics in order to provide healthier and more comfortable conditions to their occupants.

Management of the Indoor Environment: from a Component Related to an Interactive Top-down Approach

Over the last century, management of the indoor environment was focused only on its single components (thermal comfort, noise, light, air quality) and to a lesser extent on interrelations between these components in the so-called bottom-up approach. Although standards and guidelines are met, the quality of the indoor environment, as experienced by the occupants, is not acceptable and could be unhealthy, causing health and comfort problems. Inappropriate communication between stakeholders of the indoor environment, during the life-cycle of a building, also causes problems. Internal and external drivers can influence the wishes and demands of the end-users, which consequently change over time and are now very different from 100 years ago. The indoor environments need to be able to anticipate those changes. An interactive top-down approach, next to the traditional bottom-up approach, is presented as a possible solution.

The Healthy Indoor Environment : How to assess occupants' wellbeing in buildings

Preface List of Symbols, Acronyms and Abbreviations Part 1: Mechanisms 1. Human model 2. Bodily Processes 3. Stress Response Mechanisms Part 2: Assessment 4. Indicators 5. Research Methods and Analysis 6. Data Collection Techniques Part 3: Analysis 7. Needs and Opportunities 8. Performance Indicators 9. Scenarios Annex A Questionnaires Annex B Checklists Annex C Indicators References Index

Review : Indoor Air Qualit Management A State of the Art Review and Identification of Research Needs

A workshop on indoor air quality management (IAQM) was held by the Com mission of European Communities (DG XII) in Lausanne on May 27-28, 1991, to determine the state of the art of the current knowledge concerning IAQM, the missing know-how and possible research areas. Twenty-six IAQ experts participated, and each expert presented a state of the art and future research needs on one of the following topics: sick building syndrome, IAQ measurement, IAQ and energy, sources and source control, ventilation, venti lation systems, and European activities and regulations. This paper presents a summary of the outcome of this workshop.

What do we need to be able to (re)design healthy and comfortable indoor environments

There are many indoor stressors that can cause their effects additively or through complex interactions (synergistic or antagonistic). It has been shown that exposure to these stressors can cause both short-term and long-term effects. There is a need for a risk assessment model, which takes account of the combined effects of these stress factors in buildings on people, comprising a framework of indicators, interactions and dynamic behaviour over time per scenario. Based on recent and past studies, information for defining a conceptual framework of cause–effect relations (patterns) for different scenarios (homes, schools and office buildings) for major end-points was gathered by a broad literature review. The outcome showed an incomplete and in many cases inconclusive information on associations between occupant-related indicators and dose and/or building-related indicators The information presented per scenario shows the need for other and more data collection as well as other analysis models, which acknowledge that the built environment and its indoor environment with occupants are a complex system.

Health, comfort and performance of children in classrooms – New directions for research

Children spend more time in schools than in any other place except at home. Children are more susceptible than adults to effects of toxic exposure, but also to poor acoustic conditions. It is known for some time that unsatisfactory environmental conditions, can have both short-term and long-term health effects, and can affect productivity or learning ability of the children. The underlying literature study focusses on the role of the indoor school environment on the health, comfort and performance of children in classrooms. In the last decades, many studies all over the world have been performed to document the indoor environment in classrooms and to examine relations with diseases and disorders. An inventory is made of these studies, major identified issues are discussed and ‘new’ directions of research are proposed. It is concluded that new generation research studies should be focussed on engagement of the children in an active way, preferable in semi-lab environments, and taking account of all aspects and interactions between them.

The creation of SenseLab : a laboratory for testing and experiencing single and combinations of indoor environmental conditions

ABSTRACT Research has shown that staying indoors is not good for our health. People spend more and more of their time indoors. Therefore, providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment is very important. The SenseLab will contribute to the understanding of and coping with the indoor environment. Students, teachers, researchers, but also the general public are able to experience and test different combinations of environmental conditions. The SenseLab is built around the four indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors (air, thermal, light and acoustical quality), including: the experience room, for integrated perception of IEQ, so studying all factors together. And four test chambers, open to the public, where you can take a sniff of materials, feel heat and cold, see how light influences perception and experience how acoustics can be improved. A genuine playground for your senses.