Indoor Air Quality: Status and
Standards
Freja Hasager
1 , Joachim Dithmer Bjerregaard
1 ,
James Bonomaully
2 , Hasse Knap
2 ,
Alireza Afshari
3 and Matthew Stanley Johnson
1,2
1 Department of Chemistry, University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Airlabs, Copenhagen, Denmark
3 Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg
University Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Article Outline
Glossary
Definition
Introduction
Biological, Physical, and Chemical Sources of
Pollution
Deposition of Pollutants
Ventilation Systems in Buildings
In Situ Chemistry
Indoor Air Quality and Health
Remediation Methods
Sustainable Buildings
Future Directions
Bibliography
Glossary
Aerosol A suspension of particulate matter composed of solid and/or liquid material in a gas.
Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) CO 2 is a part of the
atmosphere (>405 ppm), and indoor concentrations in excess of ambient are mainly generated by people, about a kilogram per day
depending on metabolism. The indoor exposure limit is commonly taken as 1000 ppm, a
level at which the negative health effects of
CO 2 are not yet significant. CO 2 is a useful
proxy for general indoor air quality including
bioeffluents. Continued exposure to CO 2 levels
over 2500 ppm have been linked to drowsiness
and tiredness. Studies have shown impacts on
decision making and focus from around
1300 ppm [1].
Carbon Monoxide (CO) CO is a product of
incomplete combustion. Indoor sources include
heaters and stoves, tobacco smoke, and candles.
CO is toxic to humans. Ambient air contains
about 1 ppm of carbon monoxide. In busy
streets, the atmospheric mole fraction can be in
the range of 10–20 ppm. Indoor levels generally
follow outdoor levels except in poorly ventilated houses with indoor CO sources [2].
Formaldehyde (CH 2 O) CH 2 O is a volatile
organic compound that is found in indoor air
due to off-gassing from building materials
containing adhesives and polymers and objects
like furniture and fabrics. It is also formed from
the oxidation of hydrocarbons; in the indoor
environment, this includes cigarettes and
ozonolysis of aromatic hydrocarbons. Indoor
concentrations depend on the age of the building and vary depending on season and time of
day. CH 2 O is known to cause adverse health
effects in humans. According to the World
Health Organization’s guideline for formaldehyde, exposure should not exceed 0.1 mg/m
3
(30-min average) [3].
Ventilation Systems Ventilation can be effectuated by mechanical or by natural means. In
mechanical ventilation, fans are used to ventilate an enclosed space, while natural ventilation is dependent on the outside conditions and
is driven by natural forces.
Because modern buildings are becoming
more well sealed (more impenetrable), ventilation or air exchange rates between indoor and
outdoor air have decreased. This improves thermal efficiency, but contaminants from indoor
sources will be trapped inside resulting in elevated pollutant concentrations that can cause
adverse health effects in the occupants. It is
now recognized that an optimal balance between
Freja Hasager and Joachim Dithmer Bjerregaard
contributed equally.
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
M. E. Goodsite et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Sources, Statistics and Health Effects,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0596-7_1097
Originally published in
R. A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
part of Springer Nature 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_1097-1
135
Standards
Freja Hasager
1 , Joachim Dithmer Bjerregaard
1 ,
James Bonomaully
2 , Hasse Knap
2 ,
Alireza Afshari
3 and Matthew Stanley Johnson
1,2
1 Department of Chemistry, University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Airlabs, Copenhagen, Denmark
3 Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg
University Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Article Outline
Glossary
Definition
Introduction
Biological, Physical, and Chemical Sources of
Pollution
Deposition of Pollutants
Ventilation Systems in Buildings
In Situ Chemistry
Indoor Air Quality and Health
Remediation Methods
Sustainable Buildings
Future Directions
Bibliography
Glossary
Aerosol A suspension of particulate matter composed of solid and/or liquid material in a gas.
Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) CO 2 is a part of the
atmosphere (>405 ppm), and indoor concentrations in excess of ambient are mainly generated by people, about a kilogram per day
depending on metabolism. The indoor exposure limit is commonly taken as 1000 ppm, a
level at which the negative health effects of
CO 2 are not yet significant. CO 2 is a useful
proxy for general indoor air quality including
bioeffluents. Continued exposure to CO 2 levels
over 2500 ppm have been linked to drowsiness
and tiredness. Studies have shown impacts on
decision making and focus from around
1300 ppm [1].
Carbon Monoxide (CO) CO is a product of
incomplete combustion. Indoor sources include
heaters and stoves, tobacco smoke, and candles.
CO is toxic to humans. Ambient air contains
about 1 ppm of carbon monoxide. In busy
streets, the atmospheric mole fraction can be in
the range of 10–20 ppm. Indoor levels generally
follow outdoor levels except in poorly ventilated houses with indoor CO sources [2].
Formaldehyde (CH 2 O) CH 2 O is a volatile
organic compound that is found in indoor air
due to off-gassing from building materials
containing adhesives and polymers and objects
like furniture and fabrics. It is also formed from
the oxidation of hydrocarbons; in the indoor
environment, this includes cigarettes and
ozonolysis of aromatic hydrocarbons. Indoor
concentrations depend on the age of the building and vary depending on season and time of
day. CH 2 O is known to cause adverse health
effects in humans. According to the World
Health Organization’s guideline for formaldehyde, exposure should not exceed 0.1 mg/m
3
(30-min average) [3].
Ventilation Systems Ventilation can be effectuated by mechanical or by natural means. In
mechanical ventilation, fans are used to ventilate an enclosed space, while natural ventilation is dependent on the outside conditions and
is driven by natural forces.
Because modern buildings are becoming
more well sealed (more impenetrable), ventilation or air exchange rates between indoor and
outdoor air have decreased. This improves thermal efficiency, but contaminants from indoor
sources will be trapped inside resulting in elevated pollutant concentrations that can cause
adverse health effects in the occupants. It is
now recognized that an optimal balance between
Freja Hasager and Joachim Dithmer Bjerregaard
contributed equally.
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
M. E. Goodsite et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Sources, Statistics and Health Effects,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0596-7_1097
Originally published in
R. A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
part of Springer Nature 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_1097-1
135