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An inadequate building stock
Published in Sarah Sayce, Sara Wilkinson, Gillian Armstrong, Samantha Organ, Resilient Building Retrofits, 2023
Much has been written about unhealthy buildings. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a condition whereby building occupants suffer from symptoms of illness or become infected with chronic disease from the building they live or work in. The outbreaks may arise from inadequate or inappropriate cleaning (Passarelli, 2009). SBS describes occupant concerns about defects in the construction materials or the construction process and/or inadequate maintenance (Passarelli, 2009). Symptoms can worsen with the time spent in the building, and symptoms can decrease or disappear when people leave the building. Exposure to mould can be a problem (Strauss, 2009; Terr, 2009). A 1984 World Health Organization (WHO) report suggested up to 30% of new and retrofitted buildings globally may be subject to complaints about poor indoor air quality (Environmental US, 1991). Other causes have been attributed to contaminants produced by ‘off gassing’ of some building materials, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), moulds (Strauss, 2009; Terr, 2009) improper exhaust ventilation of ozone (a by-product of some office machinery), and light industrial chemicals used within, or lack of adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration (Passarelli, 2009). Where existing buildings have issues around occupant health, action is required to remedy the issue.
Indoor Environment and Well-Being
Published in Jacqueline A. Stagner, David S-K. Ting, Green Energy and Infrastructure, 2020
Lina Seduikyte, Egle Staniskiene, Zivile Stankeviciute, Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske, Laura Stasiuliene, Paris Fokaides, Tomas Sorius, Paris Fokaides
Different studies (Chan et al., 2016; Maddalena et al., 2015; WHO, 1999) describe the effect of indoor pollutants on health. The sick building syndrome (SBS) causes eye, nose, and throat irritation, dry mucous membrane and dry skin, erythema (skin redness), mental fatigue, headaches, a high frequency of airway infections and coughs, hoarseness and wheezing, itching and nonspecific skin hypersensitivity, and nausea and dizziness. Common symptoms characterized by nasal dryness or congestion, such as a stuffy blocked nose or a runny nose, and also mental effects, such as difficulty to concentrate, can arise (Clements-Croome, 2008; Kortum & Burton, 2010). The largest impact of buildings on the outdoor environment during the whole life cycle comes from the energy used to ensure a comfortable and healthy indoor climate. According to Orme (1998), ventilation accounts for 25%–30% of the total building energy use.
Flow and Circulation of Matter
Published in Masanori Shukuya, Bio-Climatology for Built Environment, 2019
We humans are the primal source of indoor air pollution since we have to exhale carbon dioxide (CO2) and moist air ceaselessly from our noses and mouths. The evaporated water is also being discharged from our skin surfaces. There are also other possible sources such as various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coming out from electric appliances, furniture and building materials, moulds and mites that live with pets or foliage plants in pots with mud, and tobacco smoke if smoking is allowed and there are smokers. These sources should be minimized in ordinary indoor spaces so that the resulting pollution does not cause any health-related problems, that is, so-called sick-building syndrome (SBS) and also so that the required rate of fresh air to be taken in through mechanical heating and cooling systems can be minimized.
A methodology for quantifying flow patterns in a water-table apparatus for naturally ventilated buildings
Published in Architectural Science Review, 2021
Pooja Mundhe, Rashmin M. Damle
Since people living in modern technological societies spend 90% of their time in an artificial environment (Awbi 1991), providing a healthy indoor environment has become crucial. Indoor air gets contaminated because of human activities and the release of various pollutants (such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, odor, and particulate matter) from the materials used in buildings (Sundell 2004). Indoor building materials, such as paints, furnishings, adhesives, etc., release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (Jones 1999), which cause a harmful impact on human health. Inadequate ventilation causes the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) (Jones 1999). It is, therefore, vital to provide a healthy indoor environment, which has also been reported to affect the productivity of people (Tham 2016). According to the ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation standard (2016), fresh air requirement for buildings has to be calculated on the basis of the number of occupants and per square meter of the floor area of the space under consideration. Providing fresh air using dedicated systems for this purpose contributes to lowering energy consumption by the air-conditioning systems. If such systems are designed carefully, achieving the fresh air requirement with natural ventilation is considerably inexpensive and effective. Natural ventilation dilutes the indoor pollutants (Chenari, Dias Carrilho, and Gameiro Da Silva 2016), and also removes heat from the indoor sources depending on the climate. The air-flow pattern within a room is considered an important parameter while determining thermal comfort (Fulpagare and Agrawal 2013) and indoor air quality (Sekhar and Willem 2004). In this context, the use of passive strategies such as natural or hybrid ventilation decreases dependence on air-conditioning, leading to reduced energy consumption.