Indoor air quality guidelines from across the world: An appraisal considering energy saving, health, productivity, and comfort

Sani Dimitroulopoulou, Marzenna R Dudzińska, Lars Gunnarsen, Linda Hägerhed, Henna Maula, Raja Singh, Oluyemi Toyinbo, Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)
176 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Buildings are constructed and operated to satisfy human needs and improve quality of life. Good indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort are prerequisites for human health and well-being. For their provision, buildings often rely on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, which may lead to higher energy consumption. This directly impacts energy efficiency goals and the linked climate change considerations. The balance between energy use, optimum IAQ and thermal comfort calls for scientifically solid and well-established limit values for exposures experienced by building occupants in indoor spaces, including homes, schools, and offices. The present paper aims to appraise limit values for selected indoor pollutants reported in the scientific literature, and to present how they are handled in international and national guidelines and standards. The pollutants include carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (CH2O), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and radon (Rn). Furthermore, acknowledging the particularly strong impact on energy use from HVAC, ventilation, indoor temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH) are also included, as they relate to both thermal comfort and the possibilities to avoid moisture related problems, such as mould growth and proliferation of house dust mites. Examples of national regulations for these parameters are presented, both in relation to human requirements in buildings and considering aspects related to energy saving. The work is based on the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) guidelines database, which spans across countries and institutions, and aids in taking steps in the direction towards a more uniform guidance for values of indoor parameters. The database is coordinated by the Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) 34, as part of ISIAQ, the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.

Original languageEnglish
Article number108127
JournalEnvironment International
Volume178
ISSN0160-4120
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Energy consumption/efficiency/performance
  • HVAC
  • Human requirements
  • Indoor climate/pollutants
  • Permissible limits/target values
  • Well-being

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