Project documents on indoor environments

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• INDEX - Critical Appraisal of the Setting and Implementation of Indoor Exposure Limits in the EU. Scope of INDEX was to identify priorities and to assess the needs for a Community strategy and action plan in the area of indoor air pollution by

1) Setting up a list of compounds to be regulated in indoor environments with priority on the basis of health impact criteria,

2) Providing suggestions and recommendations on potential exposure limits for these compounds, and

3) Providing information on links with existing knowledge, ongoing studies, legislation etc. at world scale.

The results of the project are reported in the final report.

• EnVIE (Co-ordination Action on Indoor Air Quality and Health Effects). The objective of the EnVIE project was to increase the understanding of the Europe-wide public health impacts of indoor air quality. The project identified the most widespread and significant indoor causes for these health impacts, and evaluate the existing and optional building and housing related policies for controlling them. It was assessed in particular how indoor air quality might contribute to the observed rise in asthma and respiratory allergy, together with other acute and chronic health impacts. The results of the review "Indoor Air Pollution Exposure" are presented in the final report of the WP2. The indoor exposure agents reviewed in this report include those, originally selected for EnVIE, namely tobacco smoke, (combustion) particles, carbon monoxide, radon, moisture, moulds and dust mites and VOCs. In addition this report reviews the indoor exposures to the INDEX high priority chemicals, benzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, INDEX second priority chemicals, acetaldehyde, xylenes, toluene and styrene, INDEX chemicals requiring further research (Ammonia), δ-limonene and α-pinene. The "Characterisation of spaces and sources" document reports the work done in WP3. In this report emissions are identified, accordingly to the EnVIE approach and grouped into four categories: building materials and related sources, including dampness and moulds; ventilation, natural and mechanical, including, or not, heating, cooling and humidification/dehumidification; consumer products, furnishing, cleaning and household products; and occupant activities.
• PEOPLE: Population Exposure to Air Pollutants in Europe. The aims of the PEOPLE project were:

1) To assess benzene levels for the establishment of measurement regimes and in support of the development of a monitoring network design, mainly in the new EU Member States/Candidate Countries,

2) To evaluate the impact of outdoor and indoor emission sources (including smoking) on human exposure to benzene levels, in support of risk assessment of urban populations in Europe and the validation of exposure models,

3) To assess population exposure in various European capitals to identify similarities and differences related to local mobility policies and air pollution abatement measures, and

4) To support local, national and European decision making, and to raise the awareness of citizens with regard to air quality, in particular to the impact of personal behaviour (mode of living, mode of transport, smoking habits).

The PEOPLE project was extended to include outdoor and indoor measurements of other pollutants of relevance to long-term exposure, in particular particulate matter, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzo(a)pyrene. The project results are presented in the final report.

• AIRMEX (European Indoor Air Monitoring and Exposure Assessment Project). The indoor air quality and personal exposure concentration were investigated by measuring 19 volatile organic compounds in indoor air, such as carbonyls, terpenoids and aromatics, in public buildings and kindergartens in a number of cities across Europe. The results of the project are reported in journal publications and in a database available in the project web pages in http://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/our_databases/airmex.
• THADE (Towards Healthy Indoor Air in Dwellings in Europe). EFA Project in years 2002 – 2004. Objectives of the project were

1) Review the data and evidence based information related to exposure and to the health effects of air pollution in dwellings particularly as regards allergies, asthma and other respiratory diseases,

2) Review cost effective measures and technology to improve air quality in dwellings,

3) Review legislation and guidelines on air pollution and air quality in dwellings,

4) Produce maps of pollutants in dwellings and

5) Recommend an integrated strategy that defines appropriate indoor air quality policies for implementation in Europe, and identify appropriate technology.

The results of the project are presented in the final report.

• Ranking indoor air health problems using health impact assessment. This report aims at including the existing information from science, from Member States and from stakeholders to inform the Commission on:

(a) the health impacts arising from the various contamination issues, including uncertainties, and to make recommendations for filling any information gaps;

(b) the key indoor air pollutants in homes and key public spaces across the EU, with an indication of the potential for intervention; and, based on the Member States’ current practice,

(c) to inform the Commission on:

(c1) the risks associated with the exposure to indoor air pollutants in public spaces;

(c2) the existing surveillance monitoring schemes of public spaces and private homes;

(c3) the implementation of exposure limits.

The available evidence from literature, from European research projects (e.g. INDEX, THADE, EXPOLIS and studies from the European Collaborative Action on “Urban air, indoor environment and human exposure” (ECA) including studies like AIRMEX and ENVIE, …) are presented in the final report and in it's Annexes.