BUILDINGS AND ENVIRONMENT

BUILDINGS AND ENVIRONMENT

Key words: Indoor environment, Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), Microclimate, Agens, Pollutant, Sources of pollution, Indoor environment


INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

The indoor environment is an environment without direct connection to the outdoor environment. The indoor environment of buildings can be divided into:
  • Residential environment
  • Work environment
  • Civic amenities
    • Buildings for education, colleges, schools in nature, buildings for recreational events, buildings of health facilities, social facilities, accommodation facilities, buildings for trade and for gathering more persons.
  • Other premises (Vehicles and other constructions, ...)
Indirect connection of the indoor environment with the outdoor environment and also due to the presence of various sources of pollution (for example constructional defects, characteristics of building materials, human activities, interior fittings and ambient air quality), it is often possible to observe that the indoor air has a different and specific microclimate.

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

In 1983, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined these health problems such as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Nearly a third occupant suffered SBS in the 80s of the last century. Today, it is already almost 85 %.
 
Sick Building Syndrome can be described as a group of more or less serious diseases and health problems that occur during a long stay in closed rooms. Common symptoms are>
  • Development of allergies
  • Asthma, repeated airway inflammation
  • Headache, eye irritation
  • Increased blood pressure, cholesterol
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Depression, neurosis, impaired immunity ...

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME IN THE CITY

The air in the city is full of smog. The indoor environment is hermetically sealed and enriched with a wide range of chemicals from furniture, plastics, PVC, smoke, static electricity. Synthetic covers and carpets are literally a cocktail of chemicals. ir inside the building is up to 10 times more dusty than outdoor air. It is clear that the air is not good for the health and well-being to the human body.
 
NASA's research (Rohles 1971, Jokl 1989) has long pointed out that the optimum level of living, ie without SBS, creates the optimal level of individual living environment components (The so-called constituent or components of the microclimate of the living environment): Thermal-humidity, odor, toxic, aerosol, microbial, ionizing, electrostatic, electromagnetic, electro-ionic, acoustic, and psychic.

FACTORS OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

Factors affecting the quality of the indoor environment or the internal microclimate of buildings include:
  • Physical factors - temperature, humidity and air circulation, lighting, radiation, electromagnetic field, noise
  • Chemical factors - inorganic substances, organic substances and fibrous materials
  • Biological factors - bacteria, viruses, mites, molds, pollen, parts of plants, hair dust and domestic animal excrements

MICROCLIMATE

Microclimate is the climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area. The microclimate depends on the conditions prevailing in the area and its surroundings. Components of the indoor air environment of buildings intentionally created for human stay in confined spaces can generally be characterized as internal (indoor) microclimates.

People spend up to 90% of their lives indoors. Microclimate is the basic user criterion of building quality. Microclimate affects human health and psyche. The material used on the building envelope, substances penetrating from the external environment, interior and human activities forms the microclimate.

Microclimatic parameters are affected:
  • External climatic conditions and air quality
  • The way of ventilation and heating
  • Heat load due to technology, quantity and activity of people, machines, devices and lighting
  • Thermal-technical properties of the building  
 Agens are substances of a mass or energy nature acting on the subject:
  • Mass Agens: toxic gaseous substances, solid aerosol, toxic gases, microbes, toxic liquids, liquid aerosol, odors, air movement, water vapor.
  • Energy agens: heat, light, UV radiation, laser radiation, ionizing radiation, ions in the air, static electricity, sound, vibration.
The indoor environment is made up of a variety of different microclimates:
  • Thermal - humidity microclimate
  • Odor microclimate
  • Microbial microclimate
  • Light microclimate
  • Acoustic microclimate
  • Ionization microclimate
  • Aerosol microclimate
  • Toxic microclimate
  • Electrostatic microclimate
  • Electromagnetic microclimate
  • Electro-ionic climate
  • Psychic microclimate
Pollutant is gaseous, liquid or solid chemical, which has a harmful effect on living organisms at certain concentrations and duration of action.

Sources of pollution and pollutants of the indoor environment:
  • Outdoor air: Carbon, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, ozone, solid particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, allergens (pollen)
  • Outdoor environment: Soil gas, water
  • Building (building material and equipment): Formaldehyde, Benzene, Asbestos, Toluene, Solids, Volatile Organic Compounds
  • Electrical devices: Volatile organic substances
  • Garages: Carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, solid particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Heating, hot water, cooking: carbon and nitrogen oxide, solid particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Activities in the building: Volatile organic substances, solid particles
  • People: Cigarette smoke, solid particles, volatile organic compounds, odors (biofeeds), (micro) biological contamination, allergens
  • Water: (Micro) biological contamination, allergens
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