An integrated approach to indoor contaminant modelling

Samuel, A.A.A. and Strachan, P.A. (2006) An integrated approach to indoor contaminant modelling. HVAC and R Research, 12 (3a). pp. 599-619. ISSN 1078-9669

Abstract

Air pollutants are those chemicals that are not generally present in the atmosphere because of natural causes but are disseminated into the air by human activity. In most parts of Europe, outdoor pollutants are principally the products of combustion from space heating, power generation, chemical industry waste, or from motor vehicle traffic (McGinlay 1997). Indoor air environments contain a myriad of inorganic and organic gases and vapors typically in trace (parts-per-billion) quantities. The chemical composition of air varies widely between particular locations as well as between measurements taken at different times for the same location. The nature of these variations is such that it is difficult to definitively characterize a typical indoor air environment with respect to specific contaminants present and concentration levels. A large number of air pollutants have known or suspected harmful effects that can be manifested on plant or animal life and/or the environment. Pollutants may not only prove a problem in the immediate vicinity of their emission, but they can travel long distances and react with other species present in the atmosphere to produce secondary pollutants (Weschler 2004).

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