News Items

News Item - February 2006

"Indoor Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency Design."

With our growing awareness of the urgent need to reduce energy consumption worldwide and the establishment of energy efficiency building design practices and supporting government legislation it is very important to consider the health effect on the occupants of such buildings in terms of indoor air quality.

The main method currently used to significantly reduce energy loss from a building is to ensure that the building envelope (ie the building shell) is as air tight as possible. As a result, natural ventilation into the building is reduced and the issue of indoor air quality becomes a significant one.

In February 2005 the California Air Resources Board produced a draft Report on Indoor Air Pollution in California which states that " ....California Energy Commission sets energy efficiency standards for residences, which has resulted in reduced infiltration of outdoor air, or "tightening" of new homes compared to older homes. This has implications for indoor air quality."

The report also states that: " California adults spend an average of 87 percent of their time indoors, and children under 12 years of age spend about 86 percent of their time indoors. .... the trapping effect of buildings, and people's proximity to indoor sources of emissions, there is a much higher likelihood that people will be exposed to indoor pollutants than outdoor pollutants. Investigators have calculated that pollutants emitted indoors have a 1000-fold greater chance of being inhaled than do those emitted outdoors"

One of the mitigation options for consideration in the report is to:

"Amend building codes to address indoor air quality, with a focus on assuring adequate ventilation under all circumstances.

• Read the draft Report on Indoor Air Pollution in California   pub. February 2005.