Securing adequate indoor air quality (IAQ) across Europe: Developing the health-based ventilation guidelines (HealthVent project)

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Background: Inadequate IAQ due to poor ambient air quality and indoor sources of pollution causes a loss of 2 mill. healthy life years annually in EU. Ventilation is one of many factors determining IAQ. Aims: HealthVent project was conducted to form guidelines for health-based ventilation in non-industrial buildings in Europe. Methods. Scientific literature was reviewed to examine association between ventilation and health effects both as regards ventilation rate and the type of ventilation.Risk analysis was performed to examine the impact of different strategies to control exposures and their impact on health in DALYs. Results. The data in the reviewed studies on ventilation and health were found inadequate to set the health–based ventilation rates because the studies improperly characterized exposures and because of the lack of homogeneity. Risk modelling simulations of different strategies resulting in reduction of DALYs suggested that health-based ventilation requirements should be combined with source control strategies and, if necessary, cleaning of outdoor air in order to be efficient. Consequently HealthVent proposed following guidelines. Source control is a key strategy for IAQ. Ventilation should be an ultimate measure to control exposures. WHO air quality guidelines should be used to attest no health risk. When met, the health-based reference minimum ventilation rate is to be set at 4 L/s per person to handle human bioeffluents. When not met after applying source control, ventilation rate should be a multiple of the minimum rate. Air used for ventilation must always meet WHO guidelines. Ventilation system must operate as intended without increasing health risk and must be decoupled from ventilation needed to support thermal comfort. Conclusions: Product labelling, inclusion of IAQ in ambient air quality directives and IAQ audits are among policies needed to implement the guidelines, while population-based measuring campaigns should further support them.