ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly looks at special features of indoor air quality. Ventilation of buildings controls the rate of exchange of inside air with outside air, and hence not only the ingress of outside pollutants into the building, but the release of indoor pollutants from the building. Controlled ventilation of buildings is a compromise between energy costs, maintenance of comfort and air quality. The most basic model of building air exchange involves an enclosure with two vents. The Indoor Environment Management Branch of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have developed the indoor air quality series of models which incorporate the latest findings from research on sources, sinks, ventilation and artificial air cleaners to simulate the indoor air quality and inhalation exposure. The USEPA has also created the Indoor airPlus programme to improve indoor air quality from newly built homes in the US. Odour is one of the most exacting indoor air-quality problems to deal with.
