BUILDING DESIGN AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY - EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS

In the last three decades numerous studies have been performed dealing with air quality in indoor environments. Most of them were focused onto the chemical characterization and quantification of priority air contaminants indoors, which may represent a risk for human health, well being and comfort. The reason for all these activities was the fact, that people spend a great part of their time (85 to 90%) in confined spaces (homes, office buildings, schools, public transport means) and thus are exposed to a high extent to chemicals accumulated indoors. In order to substantially facing indoor air pollution there is a need a) to apply harmonized procedures for indoor air pollution monitoring, b) to reduce/eliminate indoor pollution sources e.g. smoking, use of cleaning agents and low emitting (chemical substances) building and construction materials and c) to integrate all political tools and initiatives available e.g. the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) and the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality [6,7]. The paper presents existing knowledge on indoor environmental quality related issues at European level in view of energy saving requirements for new and old buildings and proposes actions that should be taken into consideration in the coming years to achieve healthy and resource efficient buildings.