Abstract
Indoor air quality and durability of air tightness and ventilation function in buildings were studied in 44 single-family houses built by the same contractor (Hjaeltevad AB) between 1982 and 1989. The investigation comprised measurements of ventilation rate, air tightness and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the indoor air, as well as inspection of the house. The dwellings have exhaust air heat pumps. Ventilation rate and air tightness were checked in all houses when they were new. In this study these measurements were repeated. From the start all houses met the requirements in the Swedish Building Code of a minimum ventilation rate of 0.5 air changes per hour. The houses were initially also very airtight. Now, 3-10 years later, the ventilation rate in practically every house has decreased; on an average 25%. The air tightness is still good, but the results show on an average a slight deterioration. The total concentration of volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in the houses were in the range of 0.08 to 1.43 mg/m{sup 3} (Tenaxadsorbent, GC-FID, toluene-equivalents). In two houses, TVOC-levels above 1 mg/m{sup 3} where caused by a non-functioning exhaust fan and work with artists paint respectively. Excluding these two houses, the arithmatic mean value
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Citation Formats
Nilsson, I.
Indoor air quality in airtight swedish dwellings: A follow-up study of 44 single-family houses built in 1982-89; Luftkvalitet och ventilation i taeta smaahus. En uppfoeljning av 44 Hjaeltevadshus byggda under aaren 1982-89.
Sweden: N. p.,
1993.
Web.
Nilsson, I.
Indoor air quality in airtight swedish dwellings: A follow-up study of 44 single-family houses built in 1982-89; Luftkvalitet och ventilation i taeta smaahus. En uppfoeljning av 44 Hjaeltevadshus byggda under aaren 1982-89.
Sweden.
Nilsson, I.
1993.
"Indoor air quality in airtight swedish dwellings: A follow-up study of 44 single-family houses built in 1982-89; Luftkvalitet och ventilation i taeta smaahus. En uppfoeljning av 44 Hjaeltevadshus byggda under aaren 1982-89."
Sweden.
@misc{etde_10117342,
title = {Indoor air quality in airtight swedish dwellings: A follow-up study of 44 single-family houses built in 1982-89; Luftkvalitet och ventilation i taeta smaahus. En uppfoeljning av 44 Hjaeltevadshus byggda under aaren 1982-89}
author = {Nilsson, I}
abstractNote = {Indoor air quality and durability of air tightness and ventilation function in buildings were studied in 44 single-family houses built by the same contractor (Hjaeltevad AB) between 1982 and 1989. The investigation comprised measurements of ventilation rate, air tightness and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the indoor air, as well as inspection of the house. The dwellings have exhaust air heat pumps. Ventilation rate and air tightness were checked in all houses when they were new. In this study these measurements were repeated. From the start all houses met the requirements in the Swedish Building Code of a minimum ventilation rate of 0.5 air changes per hour. The houses were initially also very airtight. Now, 3-10 years later, the ventilation rate in practically every house has decreased; on an average 25%. The air tightness is still good, but the results show on an average a slight deterioration. The total concentration of volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in the houses were in the range of 0.08 to 1.43 mg/m{sup 3} (Tenaxadsorbent, GC-FID, toluene-equivalents). In two houses, TVOC-levels above 1 mg/m{sup 3} where caused by a non-functioning exhaust fan and work with artists paint respectively. Excluding these two houses, the arithmatic mean value was 0.30 mg/m{sup 3} and the standard deviation 0.14 mg/m{sup 3}. Among individual VOCs identified where {alpha}-pinen and other terpenes, aldehydes, hydrocarbons and esters. One compound found in four houses in levels above 0.05 mg/m{sup 3}, was TXIB, a semivolatile plasticizer. The source of TXIB in these particular houses was not identified. No simple correlation between TVOC-value and air exchange rate was found. This concludes that other sources than building materials were of significant importance. This was also shown by lack of correlation between age of the building (e.g. surface of the room) and TVOC. More important sources could be furniture, household products and cosmetics. 14 refs, 12 tabs, 57 figs}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1993}
month = {Jun}
}
title = {Indoor air quality in airtight swedish dwellings: A follow-up study of 44 single-family houses built in 1982-89; Luftkvalitet och ventilation i taeta smaahus. En uppfoeljning av 44 Hjaeltevadshus byggda under aaren 1982-89}
author = {Nilsson, I}
abstractNote = {Indoor air quality and durability of air tightness and ventilation function in buildings were studied in 44 single-family houses built by the same contractor (Hjaeltevad AB) between 1982 and 1989. The investigation comprised measurements of ventilation rate, air tightness and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the indoor air, as well as inspection of the house. The dwellings have exhaust air heat pumps. Ventilation rate and air tightness were checked in all houses when they were new. In this study these measurements were repeated. From the start all houses met the requirements in the Swedish Building Code of a minimum ventilation rate of 0.5 air changes per hour. The houses were initially also very airtight. Now, 3-10 years later, the ventilation rate in practically every house has decreased; on an average 25%. The air tightness is still good, but the results show on an average a slight deterioration. The total concentration of volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in the houses were in the range of 0.08 to 1.43 mg/m{sup 3} (Tenaxadsorbent, GC-FID, toluene-equivalents). In two houses, TVOC-levels above 1 mg/m{sup 3} where caused by a non-functioning exhaust fan and work with artists paint respectively. Excluding these two houses, the arithmatic mean value was 0.30 mg/m{sup 3} and the standard deviation 0.14 mg/m{sup 3}. Among individual VOCs identified where {alpha}-pinen and other terpenes, aldehydes, hydrocarbons and esters. One compound found in four houses in levels above 0.05 mg/m{sup 3}, was TXIB, a semivolatile plasticizer. The source of TXIB in these particular houses was not identified. No simple correlation between TVOC-value and air exchange rate was found. This concludes that other sources than building materials were of significant importance. This was also shown by lack of correlation between age of the building (e.g. surface of the room) and TVOC. More important sources could be furniture, household products and cosmetics. 14 refs, 12 tabs, 57 figs}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1993}
month = {Jun}
}