Overview
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ABSTRACT
The air quality of private and collective closed spaces depends on several sources of pollution which are at the origin of various physical, chemical and biological pollutants. This article presents the measurement tools, on site and in the laboratory (recording, sampling and analysis, sensors) and the circumstances of these measurements: delivery of a new or renovated building, operation or environmental investigation after reporting. It indicates the action to be taken in the event that the reference values of the parameters measured are exceeded. It specifies the preventive actions on the sources of pollution, the renewal of the air in the premises and the air treatment systems.
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Read the articleAUTHOR
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Fabien SQUINAZI: Medical biologist - Chairman, Specialized Commission on Environmental Risks - Haut Conseil de la santé publique, Paris, France
INTRODUCTION
Indoor air is the air we breathe in enclosed spaces or non-industrial indoor environments. These are typically the places we frequent on a daily basis: our homes, public buildings, office buildings and means of transport. Indoor air quality depends on pollutants from outside and those emitted inside by components of the enclosed space and by human activities. It also depends on indoor air renewal conditions and the supply of outside air through aeration and/or ventilation. A deterioration in indoor air quality due to the accumulation of pollutants is the cause of discomfort and health problems, since we spend between 80% and 90% of our time in enclosed spaces. It quickly translates into nuisances that are not serious, but which disrupt daily life, and which disappear when we leave the enclosed space. These include sensations of discomfort, olfactory nuisances and various symptoms, such as eye, nose and throat irritations, headaches, fatigue, concentration difficulties, respiratory and skin signs, and visual disturbances. But poor indoor air quality also favors carbon monoxide poisoning (in the case of combustion sources), allergic respiratory diseases and the transmission of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria), with a greater impact on vulnerable people (children, pregnant women, the elderly, people suffering from chronic illnesses). Regular exposure to undesirable substances with carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxic or endocrine-disrupting potential is an aggravating factor in the development of chronic respiratory, cardiovascular or tumor pathologies. The socio-economic cost of exposure in enclosed spaces to six pollutants (benzene, trichloroethylene, radon, carbon monoxide, fine particles and environmental tobacco smoke) has been estimated in France at 19 billion euros annually . In 2022, there are several metrological means available to identify and measure the concentrations of the various biological, physical and chemical pollutants present in our indoor environments. These measurements are carried out by sampling, recording and analysis campaigns in the laboratory or using micro-sensors, at key moments in the life of the building (reception of a new or renovated building, building in operation, investigation following a report). This enables us to better understand the evolution of indoor pollution and to adjust preventive and corrective actions, in order to ensure the comfort, well-being and health of the occupants of these enclosed spaces. Following a review of indoor air sources and pollutants, this article describes the various tools available, both on-site and in the laboratory, and the situations...
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KEYWORDS
sensor | prevention | indoor air | air sampling
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Indoor air quality
Bibliography
Bibliography
- (1) - Observatoire de la qualite de l'air intérieur - http://www.oqai.fr
- (2) - SQUINAZI (F.) - Les polluants physicochimiques de l'air intérieur : sources et impacts sanitaires....
Standards and norms
- AFNOR. Indoor air, ambient air and workplace air – Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds by thermal adsorption/desorption tube/capillary gas chromatography. Part 2: Diffusion sampling - NF EN ISO 16017-2 - 2003
- AFNOR. Indoor air – Part 4: Formaldehyde determination – Diffuse sampling method - NF ISO 16000-4 - 2012
- AFNOR. Inside air – Part 18: Mould detection and enumeration – Impaction sampling...
Regulations
Loi n° 2010-788 du 12 juillet 2010 portant engagement national pour l'Environnement (Grenelle 2). NOR : DEVX0822225L (consolidated version as of October 27, 2021)
Décret n° 2011-321 du 23 mars 2011 relatif à l'étiquetage des produits de construction ou de revêtement de mur ou de sol et des peintures et vernis sur leurs émissions de polluants volatils. JORF n° 0071 of March 25, 2011. NOR : DEVL1101903D...
Directory
Manufacturers – Suppliers – Distributors (non-exhaustive list)
Interprofessional Federation of Atmospheric Environment Professions (FIMEA)
Small and medium-sized companies with expertise in the various fields of indoor and outdoor air quality http://www.fimea.fr
HQE-GBC Alliance
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