AIR QUALITY
Household air pollution
Alexander Jones, product and applications manager UK/IE, Johnson Controls Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe SAS, considers the issue of indoor air quality following the Health Eff ects Institute’s annual State of Global Air report.
I
ndoor air pollutants occur in both private and public sector environments as well as enclosed transport systems and, while some are outside pollutants drawn inside (such as pollen, industrial chemicals and traffic fumes) or natural radon gas that enters buildings from the ground, most are actually released from within the building itself.
Household appliances, domestic fuel, air fresheners and cleaning products are all causes of indoor air pollutants, but emissions from construction materials, furnishings and furniture are another less obvious source. Smoking, dust mites, pets and infestations of pests or vermin are also sources of indoor allergens, while damp and poor ventilation will exacerbate any underlying pollution issues. The British Lung Foundation estimates we spend about 90% of our time indoors – at home, work or school and in shops or restaurants – and indoor air pollution can be linked to health issues such as asthma, allergies and lung cancers, and is a major environmental health concern throughout Europe.
Outdoor air pollution is being tackled in various ways: with low emission zones such as London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) introduced in April, tax incentives for electric and hybrid vehicles, and increased investment in green energy sources. The EU’s air quality directives are designed to achieve levels of air quality that reduce risks to health, but indoor air quality is, in the main, yet to be addressed. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO)
guidelines for indoor air quality address three issues that are considered the most relevant for public health: ■ Biological indoor air pollutants (damp and mould)
■ Pollutant-specific guidelines (chemical pollution)
■ Pollutants from indoor combustion of fuels (for cooking, heating and cooling).
According to research, one in five children in the UK carries an inhaler for asthma and one in four pre-school children suffer from wheezing not linked to asthma. These figures are quite staggering.
Perhaps even more worryingly, the Health Effects Institute’s annual State of Global Air report released in April finds that “air pollution has cut global life expectancy by 1.67 years”. It ranks air pollution as the fifth highest mortality risk factor globally, with household air pollution accounting for 1.6 million early deaths.
Studies by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) since the 1990s have identified that highly airtight buildings are energy efficient but have less ventilation, leading to a build-up of internal air pollutants. As demand for energy efficient buildings grows in response to concerns over climate change and higher fuel costs, increased airtightness in buildings is likely to reduce natural ventilation still further and negatively impact indoor air quality.
So what can we do to improve the outlook?
Opening windows or doors, operating extractor units or externally vented fans will increase ventilation and help remove internally- generated pollutants. Improving ventilation will raise indoor air quality in most locations, although where there is close proximity to busy roads, airports or industrial processes, this may not be the answer.
Installing energy efficient air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems will ensure indoor air quality is high and using heat recovery technologies will keep the running costs down. This will be particularly suitable for public sector spaces where budgets can be made available for refurbishing or upgrading cooling and heating systems, and large-scale construction projects can be scheduled in without causing widespread disruption. For domestic situations, installing energy efficient ground or air source heat pumps as an alternative to a traditional boiler would reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants such as NOx, and here at Hitachi, we believe this form of renewable domestic heating could help turn the tide for many who suffer illness as a result of poor indoor air quality. In winter, heat is absorbed from the outside ground or air and is transformed into energy for heating. In the summer, heat is drawn from the inside air and expelled outside.
Where air conditioning systems are being specified, it is worth investing in higher specification units with extra filtration to remove contaminants and allergens from the air.
www.acr-news.com June 2019 27
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