Indoor Air Quality Parameters Research Articles

Real Time Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based Indoor Air Quality Monitoring System

This paper presents the development and implementation of a number of wirelessly connected sensor units to monitor indoor air quality parameters for real time visualisation and recording of the measured data. This is achieved by utilising infrared based sensor technology that measures carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and humidity, low power wireless networking and Geo-statistic methods for spatial prediction. The platform consists an MBED LPC 1768 development board that retrieves data from the sensor unit and transmits it wirelessly using a ZigBee module to a central base station where it is analysed and stored. Spatial prediction is also performed in real time on live data. Initial measurements are performed in an office environment.

A Study of Indoor Air Quality in Refurbished Museum Building

Problem related with indoor air quality (IAQ), is rapidly becoming a major health issue as people spend almost 90% of their time indoors. Museums were established in Malaysia more than hundred years ago. Since the year 2005, Malaysia has been moving away from constructing new buildings in favour of refurbishing historic and old ones. A healthy environment at the museum building has been identified as one of the important element that must been considered, but it is not sure either IAQ in the museum building provide a good air quality or not. The purpose of this study is to determine the actual indoor environment of the museum building in Melaka. In this study, the IAQ measurement were conduct for six days at the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and at the History and Ethnography Museum. During the measurement, IAQ parameters of gaseous pollutant of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, and particulate matter of fine particles were recorded by using specific IAQ equipment. The finding of this study indicates that the distance of buildings from roadways appears to have an impact on indoor environmental levels, especially for nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. Based on the results, only gaseous pollutant of sulfur dioxide had not exceeding the acceptable TLV compared to the other IAQ pollutants.

Indoor Air Quality Real-Time Monitoring in Airport Terminal Areas: An Opportunity for Sustainable Management of Micro-Climatic Parameters.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) management in public spaces is assuming a remarkable importance. Busy environments, like airport terminals, are currently regarded as possible hotspots and IAQ is a crucial element for passengers and staff protection, as well as a key aspect of airport passenger experience. A one-month monitoring period has been performed on IAQ in the airport of Bologna (Italy), as prototypal example of large regional airport. Four strategic areas within the airport have been equipped with electronic monitoring platforms, including different contaminants and two microclimatic sensors. Data suggest that daily variation in IAQ parameters typically follow the activity pattern of the different environments under study (i.e., passengers’ flows) for gaseous contaminants, where particulate matter counts oscillate in a definite range, with a significant role played by ventilation system. Gaseous contaminants show a correlation between indoor and outdoor concentrations, mainly due to airside activities. Micro-climatic comfort parameters have been tested to match with standards for commercial environments. As results appears in line with typical households IAQ values, the current air ventilation system appears to be adequate. Nevertheless, an integrated air management system, based on real-time monitoring, would lead to optimization and improvement in environmental and economical sustainability.

Parameters of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Wooden Houses

Indoor environment quality in wooden family houses was compared to bricked houses or concrete slab apartments. Based on measurements, the influence of selected systems of forced ventilation without heat recovery and with efficient heat recovery were compared in selected houses in consideration of monitored parameters of CO2 and relative humidity in the course of 24 hours. Auxiliary parameters such as temperature and absolute pressure were also measured. The CO2 and relative humidity parameters had demonstrable effects in all the houses. The differences of CO2 values while using recuperation or not in wooden houses reached 21.2%, 44.7%, and 31.6%. The relative humidity value differences reached 6.6%, 2.8%, and 2.9%. More significant differences in values were reached in the course of measuring in a brick building - 73.1% CO2 and 39.4% of relative humidity. In the concrete slab apartment, the value differences reached 46.1% CO2 and 1.8% at relative humidity. The permitted limit of 1,500 ppm of CO2 was exceeded in all the objects without active heat recovery. In the case of efficient heat recovery, the values oscillated around the recommended value of 1,000 ppm of CO2.

Analysis of indoor air parameters in an education building

Main parameters of IAQ (indoor air quality) could influence people health as well as their ability to learning and work. This research on IAQ was conducted in a classroom of Bialystok University of Technology located in the north-eastern part of Poland. We focused on issues related to indoor temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, air change rates and noise. Indoor temperature was recorded in a range from 23.1 °C to 24.9 °C, so higher than design temperature set at 20 °C or comfort temperature found as average 22 °C [1]. On the other hand, relative humidity was slightly lower than recommended minimum 40 % (range 31.7 % to 38.3 %). Moreover, we found that the concentration of carbon dioxide during the experiment was constantly increasing to final 1067 ppm, while the average air exchange rate was 1.5 h–1.

Study of Literatures for the Impact on PM2.5 Purification by Architectural Design under Haze Conditions

This paper focuses on literatures reviewing with key words of architectural and PM2.5 based on the China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database (CKNI) and Elsevier SD database. Statistical analysis on the searched 184 related literatures show the following results. (1) 20.6% of the all targeted literatures showed that PM2.5 concentration was one of the important impact parameters of indoor & outside air quality. (2) 16.3% of the literatures illustrated that the architecture designing contributed significantly to indoor and outdoor fine particulate pollution by controlling particle generation and diffusion. It can be concluded that the three-dimensional architectural design, the total layout of the building designing strategy and the architectural space design based on green building-oriented architectural designing concept will be the future focused research and the frontier question.

Indoor air humidity, air quality, and health - An overview.

There is a long-standing dispute about indoor air humidity and perceived indoor air quality (IAQ) and associated health effects. Complaints about sensory irritation in eyes and upper airways are generally among top-two symptoms together with the perception "dry air" in office environments. This calls for an integrated analysis of indoor air humidity and eye and airway health effects. This overview has reviewed the literature about the effects of extended exposure to low humidity on perceived IAQ, sensory irritation symptoms in eyes and airways, work performance, sleep quality, virus survival, and voice disruption. Elevation of the indoor air humidity may positively impact perceived IAQ, eye symptomatology, and possibly work performance in the office environment; however, mice inhalation studies do not show exacerbation of sensory irritation in the airways by low humidity. Elevated humidified indoor air appears to reduce nasal symptoms in patients suffering from obstructive apnea syndrome, while no clear improvement on voice production has been identified, except for those with vocal fatigue. Both low and high RH, and perhaps even better absolute humidity (water vapor), favors transmission and survival of influenza virus in many studies, but the relationship between temperature, humidity, and the virus and aerosol dynamics is complex, which in the end depends on the individual virus type and its physical/chemical properties. Dry and humid air perception continues to be reported in offices and in residential areas, despite the IAQ parameter "dry air" (or "wet/humid air") is semantically misleading, because a sensory organ for humidity is non-existing in humans. This IAQ parameter appears to reflect different perceptions among other odor, dustiness, and possibly exacerbated by desiccation effect of low air humidity. It is salient to distinguish between indoor air humidity (relative or absolute) near the breathing and ocular zone and phenomena caused by moisture-damage of the building construction and emissions therefrom. Further, residential versus public environments should be considered as separate entities with different characteristics and demands of humidity. Research is needed about particle, bacteria and virus dynamics indoors for improvement of quality of life and with more focus on the impact of absolute humidity. "Dry (or wet) air" should be redefined to become a meaningful IAQ descriptor.

A System Based on the Internet of Things for Real-Time Particle Monitoring in Buildings.

Occupational health can be strongly influenced by the indoor environment as people spend 90% of their time indoors. Although indoor air quality (IAQ) is not typically monitored, IAQ parameters could be in many instances very different from those defined as healthy values. Particulate matter (PM), a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air, is considered the pollutant that affects more people. The most health-damaging particles are the ≤PM10 (diameter of 10 microns or less), which can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, contributing to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as of lung cancer. This paper presents an Internet of Things (IoT) system for real-time PM monitoring named iDust. This system is based on a WEMOS D1 mini microcontroller and a PMS5003 PM sensor that incorporates scattering principle to measure the value of particles suspended in the air (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0). Through a Web dashboard for data visualization and remote notifications, the building manager can plan interventions for enhanced IAQ and ambient assisted living (AAL). Compared to other solutions the iDust is based on open-source technologies, providing a total Wi-Fi system, with several advantages such as its modularity, scalability, low cost, and easy installation. The results obtained are very promising, representing a meaningful tool on the contribution to IAQ and occupational health.

Indoor environment quality in a low-energy residential building in winter in Harbin

Harbin is located in the severe cold area of China with the outdoor mean air temperature reaching lower than −10 °C in January in winter. A passive ultra-low energy residential building was built in Harbin in compliance with the German passive house standard, the first passive house project in the severe cold climate zone of China. A post-occupancy evaluation of indoor environmental quality was conducted in the passive building (PB) during the 2015/2016 heating season. The physical parameters of indoor thermal environment and air quality were measured, in parallel with a subjective occupant survey. For comparative purposes conventional buildings (CBs) in the same community were also evaluated with the same protocols. The results show that the average indoor temperature was higher than the upper limit of thermal comfort range in the PB and low relative humidity resulting from the overheating was observed. The indoor temperature fluctuation is small, and the difference between the inner surface temperature and the air temperature in the PB is lower than that of the CBs due to the high performance envelopes, so that cold radiation was minimized. The air quality in the PB was improved compared to the CBs due to the additional mechanical ventilation system. The fresh air volume was sufficient and CO2, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the PB significant lower than those in CBs. In general, passive house technologies applied in Germany are applicable in the severe cold area of China, but the overheating problem should be avoided by proper operational strategies.

Work environment and occupational risk assessment for small animal Portuguese veterinary activities

ABSTRACTThe professional work of small animal veterinary staff encompasses a wide diversity of demanding tasks. This has prompted a number of studies covering physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, or psychological hazards, as well as their health effects upon veterinary workers. However, such results were obtained from self-reported surveys (via paper or online). This study reports the identification of potential hazards and provides a risk assessment of 15 veterinary clinics based on data from walk-through surveys, interviews with workers, and quantification of indoor air quality parameters including concentration of volatile organic compounds (total, isoflurane, and glutaraldehyde). The risk arising from X-ray exposure was unacceptable in seven clinics; X-ray examination should be discontinued in the absence of isolated radiation rooms, poor safety practices, and lack of personal protective equipment. Ergonomic-related hazards and work practices should be revised as soon as possible, considering that improper postures, as well as moving and lifting heavy animals are major causes of musculoskeletal disorders. The risk levels were, in general, small or medium (acceptable) with regard to exposure to physical hazards (such as bites, scratches, cuts, and burns) and biological hazards. It was observed that the indoor air quality parameters including temperature, respirable particulate matter and total volatile organic compounds do not indicate a comfortable workplace environment, requiring clinics' attention to keep the safe environment. The veterinarians and nurses were exposed to isoflurane (above 2 ppm) during surgery if an extractor system for waste gas was used instead of a scavenging system. Finally, veterinary workers did not possess any type of training on occupational safety and health issues, even though they recognized its importance.

Indoor Air Quality Police-Project: A New Practice to Assess Indoor Air Quality

Background/Aim: Pupils and teachers spend a lot of their times at school, thus the poor indoor air quality at schools may cause adverse health effects, absence at school and adversely affect student performance. In addition, school environments are particularly complex and have a lot of different and interconnected factors having effect to occupants’ health. We aimed 1) to develop the real-time questionnaire (discomfort and symptoms) method and 2) to assess associations between measured (real-time measurements) and perceived (online-questionnaires about discomfort and symptoms) indoor air quality in school buildings. Methods: Indoor Air Quality Police-project was conducted in six secondary schools with (4 schools) and without (2 schools) reported indoor air quality problems. Study involves six classrooms (6th- 9th grade) from each school where the measured and perceived indoor air quality were detected. Pupils and teachers completed the questionnaires in two weeks period at the end of the lessons in the studied classrooms. Following indoor air quality parameters were measured for two weeks periods: humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, TVOC, ozone, arsine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, formaldehyde, particulate matter, dustiness, noise and lightness. Results: The fieldwork was build up due the autumn 2016 and end at the March of 2017. Preliminary results will be present at the conference. Conclusions: Indoor Air Quality Police-project will establish a new practice to assess the associations between measured and perceived indoor air quality. We have an opportunity to assess an information about possible indoor air related symptoms and discomfort simultaneously with real-time measured exposure factors. Information has been collected from the same indoor air space and from the same people for several times. There is potential to notice and determine new markers that are in key roles and have adverse effect on indoor air quality and on human.

Analysis of thermal comfort in education building in surveys

Main parameters of indoor air quality could influence people health and ability to work and ability to learning. The research was conducted in University of Technology building located in Białystok, north-eastern Poland. Research - surveys was devoted to issues related to the thermal comfort in a classroom of university. Interviewees declared perceptible temperature and described their feelings connected to the temperature sensation. Other indoor parameters were also analysed such as: temperature, humidity and indoor air quality and noise level. Peoples – students filled the surveys about thermal comfort and indoor parameters. The research included indoor thermal comfort.

Association of particulate matter pm with respiratory symptoms among children in selected primary schools in pahang

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the primary pollutants found in the indoor environment. It can cause deterioration of the indoor air quality (IAQ) and is often linked with adverse health effects especially towards susceptible subgroup of the population like children. School children are exposed to PM inside the classroom, as this indoor PM may originate from both indoor and outdoor sources. Furthermore, ambient surrounding could be one of the major factors that contribute to its high concentration, specifically for school environment like government-subsidized schools in Malaysia whereby the schools are using natural ventilation systems to control the thermal comfort inside the classrooms. Hence the infiltration of outdoor PM into the indoor is probably high and significant. The high concentration of PM may affect the children’s health and learning performances. Due to this reason, it is important to study the effects of PM towards children. Thus, this study aims to assess the concentrations of PM and selected IAQ parameters in the school indoor environment with distinct background characteristics including residential, industrial, and rural areas. PM and IAQ parameters (temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) were assessed for 8-hours duration via DustMate Environmental Dust Detector (Turnkey Instruments, USA) and VelociCalc® Multi-Function Ventilation Meter 9565 (TSI®, USA) respectively, during occupied and non-occupied time in the classrooms. Second, considering the children’s prolonged and repetitive exposure towards PM in school indoor environment and their body sensitivity, this study also screened for the prevalence of non-specific respiratory disease (NSRD) and persistent cough and phlegm (PCP) among children via structured questionnaire developed by American Thoracic Society’s Division of Lung Diseases (ATS-DLD-78-C). Higher concentrations of PM and prevalence of respiratory symptoms in the school from the industrial area were expected, due to the high concentration of PM originated from nearby industrial activities and anthropogenic sources. Hopefully, better understanding and insights on the issue were obtained through this study.

Interior surface materials as sources of indoor hygiene defects

The building design and material selection has to respect the environmental requirements of indoor air quality and indoor hygiene parameters. As the first stage of building design is the most important for final indoor air quality more and more by clear constructional architecture the benefit of environmental safety, good indoor air quality for health and productivity are dominant. Nowadays the interior surface materials have received greatest attention as sources of indoor air pollution. The major pollutants in indoor air are volatile organic compounds emitted from materials and building products. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are among the most complex and troubling indoor air pollutants. Manufactured and synthesized products often release large quantities of VOCs, some of the compounds they release, such as benzene, styrene, formaldehyde, and toluene, may be irritating, toxic, or even carcinogenic. VOCs emitted can become attached to other surfaces in the space, especially fabrics, and then be re-emitted over time. The impact of interior surface materials on air quality and indoor hygiene is discussed within the paper. The building design concerning to heath of occupants and hygienic performance regime can be realized only by interdisciplinary team of professionals respecting the environmental building and indoor design.

Statistical Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality Parameters in Classrooms of a University

This study was carried out in order to determine the indoor air quality of the classrooms existing in university (Turkey). Relative humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, radon, and particulate matters (PM0.5, PM1.0, PM2.5, PM5.0, and PM10) were taken into account as the parameters of indoor air quality measurements. The results obtained from the present work were interpreted by comparing them with the standards of different countries. The relations between all parameters were statistically examined by means of correlation and regression analysis in SPSS 17 statistical program. As a result, it was observed that indoor temperature was lower than the standards, yet carbon dioxide and PM values were higher than the upper limit, but relative humidity level was within comfort conditions. The average indoor radon concentrations were found to be below the recommended reference levels for International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), yet it was seen that the results were relatively higher in comparison with the worldwide values. In addition, it was determined that there was a meaningful relation between outdoor relative humidity, indoor relative humidity, and particulate matters in different diameters. Some solutions were suggested for the treatment of the indoor air quality for each parameter.

Comparing the indoor environmental quality of a displacement ventilation and passive chilled beam application to conventional air-conditioning in the Tropics

The satisfaction of occupants with an indoor environment supplied by a conventional central VAV air-conditioning system was compared to a novel system represented by decentralized ventilation units and a network of passive chilled beams. In parallel with occupant survey measurement of indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters was conducted with the developed wireless IAQ sensing kits. The same occupant cohort was surveyed for both systems, as occupants of the conventionally-conditioning office, known as the ‘Previous Office’ later moved into the office conditioned by the novel system, known as the ‘3for2 Office’. We observed that the perceived thermal comfort and air quality satisfaction of the occupants were markedly higher in the 3for2 Office than in the Previous Office. While occupants of the 3for2 Office could raise or lower indoor air temperatures, they appeared to be consistently satisfied with higher indoor air temperatures than that set by the building management of the Previous Office. The primarily Singaporean occupants of the 3for2 Office also felt thermally comfortable even when indoor air velocities in the office were measured to be below 0.1 m/s recommended by Singaporean Standards. The 3for2 Office's ventilation system was designed to supply outdoor air beyond minimal required ventilation rates, which lead to relatively low levels of CO2 and PM2.5 concentrations in the 3for2 office. We believe that higher ventilation rates resulting in lower pollutant concentrations are responsible for a higher-than-average survey score on air quality satisfaction. We also believe that enabling occupants to set air temperature in the space resulted in higher-than-average thermal comfort satisfaction.

Particulate Matter and Staff Exposure in an Air-Conditioned Office in Akwa Ibom State University – Nigeria

Indoor air quality parameters were investigated in an occupied air–conditioned office and unoccupied air–conditioned office located in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences Complex in Akwa Ibom State University – Nigeria, during the rainy (June – July) and dry (November – December) seasons of 2016. Particulate matter (PM1, PM2, PM5, PM10), temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were simultaneously measured in fourteen (14) sampling days using Fluke 985 Particle Counter and Fluke 975 AirMeter. The concentrations of particulate matter in the occupied air–conditioned office during the rainy season ranged from 5152 – 5984 μg/m3 for PM1; 2744 – 3015 μg/m3 for PM2; 137 – 149 μg/m3 for PM5 and 36 – 50 μg/m3 for PM10 and in the unoccupied air–conditioned office, the concentrations of particulate matter ranged from 1898 – 2556 μg/m3 for PM1; 987 – 1311 μg/m3 for PM2; 38 – 59 μg/m3 for PM5 and 15 – 24 μg/m3 for PM10. During the dry season, the concentrations of particulate matter in the occupied air–conditioned office ranged from 5852 – 6510 μg/m3 for PM1; 4490 – 4992 μg/m3 for PM2; 335 – 362 μg/m3 for PM5 and 59 – 69 μg/m3 for PM10 and in the unoccupied air–conditioned office, the concentrations of particulate matter ranged from 2598 – 3112 μg/m3 for PM1; 1168 – 1694 μg/m3 for PM2; 153 – 257 μg/m3 for PM5 and 29 – 42 μg/m3 for PM10. This study has revealed that the particulate matter (PM1, PM2, PM5, PM10) concentrations in an occupied air–conditioned office were significantly (P 10 obtained in the present study were found to be much lower than the ambient maximum contaminant level for airborne PM10 standard promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (150 μg/m3 daily average and 50 μg/m3 annual average) and World Health Organization (WHO) PM10 guidelines values (50 μg/m3 daily average and 20 μg/m3 annual average). Although there were no significant relationships among PM1, PM2, PM5, and PM10 in occupied air-conditioned office, correlation analysis indicated that PM1, PM2 and PM5 were significantly correlated at P 2 were below detection limit (BDL), they indicated adequate air exchange at the time of the assessment in the air–conditioned office during the sampling period. The results obtained have revealed important contributions towards the understanding of particulate matter distribution patterns and provided baseline data that can be used for potential identification of human health risks associated with airborne particulate matter in air–conditioned offices in Akwa Ibom State University – Nigeria.

Indoor Particulate Matters, Microbial Count Assessments, and Wheezing Symptoms among Toddlers in Urban Day Care Centers in the District of Seremban, Malaysia.

Introduction:Indoor air quality in day care centers (DCCs) is an emerging research topic nowadays. Indoor air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) and microbes have been linked to respiratory health effects in children, particularly asthma-related symptoms such as night coughs and wheezing due to early exposure to indoor air contaminants.Objective:The aim of this study was to determine the association between wheezing symptoms among toddlers attending DCCs and indoor particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, and microbial count level in urban DCCs in the District of Seremban, Malaysia.Methods:Data collection was carried out at 10 DCCs located in the urban area of Seremban. Modified validated questionnaires were distributed to parents to obtain their children’s health symptoms. The parameters measured were indoor PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, total bacteria count, total fungus count, temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health analytical method.Results:All 10 DCCs investigated had at least one indoor air quality parameter exceeding the acceptable level of standard guidelines. The prevalence of toddlers having wheezing symptoms was 18.9%. There was a significant different in mean concentration of PM2.5 and total bacteria count between those with and those without wheezing symptoms (P = 0.02, P = 0.006).Conclusions:Urban DCCs are exposed to many air pollutants that may enter their buildings from various adjacent sources. The particle concentrations and presence of microbes in DCCs might increase the risk of exposed children for respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, in their later life.

Chemical Characterization of the Indoor Air Quality of a University Hospital: Penetration of Outdoor Air Pollutants.

For healthcare centers, local outdoor sources of air pollution represent a potential threat to indoor air quality (IAQ). The aim of this study was to study the impact of local outdoor sources of air pollution on the IAQ of a university hospital. IAQ was characterized at thirteen indoor and two outdoor locations and source samples were collected from a helicopter and an emergency power supply. Volatile organic compounds (VOC), acrolein, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), respirable particulate matter (PM-4.0 and PM-2.5) and their respective benz(a)pyrene contents were determined over a period of two weeks. Time-weighted average concentrations of NO2 (4.9–17.4 μg/m3) and formaldehyde (2.5–6.4 μg/m3) were similar on all indoor and outdoor locations. The median concentration VOC in indoor air was 119 μg/m3 (range: 33.1–2450 μg/m3) and was fivefold higher in laboratories (316 μg/m3) compared to offices (57.0 μg/m3). PM-4.0 and benzo(a)pyrene concentration were lower in buildings serviced by a >99.95% efficiency particle filter, compared to buildings using a standard 80–90% efficiency filter (p < 0.01). No indications were found that support a significant contribution of known local sources such as fuels or combustion engines to any of the IAQ parameters measured in this study. Chemical IAQ was primarily driven by known indoor sources and activities.

Health and Wellbeing of Occupants in Highly Energy Efficient Buildings: A Field Study.

Passive houses and other highly energy-efficient buildings need mechanical ventilation. However, ventilation systems in such houses are regarded with a certain degree of skepticism by parts of the public due to alleged negative health effects. Within a quasi-experimental field study, we investigated if occupants of two types of buildings (mechanical vs. natural ventilation) experience different health, wellbeing and housing satisfaction outcomes and if associations with indoor air quality exist. We investigated 123 modern homes (test group: with mechanical ventilation; control group: naturally ventilated) built in the years 2010 to 2012 in the same geographic area and price range. Interviews of occupants based on standardized questionnaires and measurements of indoor air quality parameters were conducted twice (three months after moving in and one year later). In total, 575 interviews were performed (respondents’ mean age 37.9 ± 9 years in the test group, 37.7 ± 9 years in the control group). Occupants of the test group rated their overall health status and that of their children not significantly higher than occupants of the control group at both time points. Adult occupants of the test group reported dry eyes statistically significantly more frequently compared to the control group (19.4% vs. 12.5%). Inhabitants of energy-efficient, mechanically ventilated homes rated the quality of indoor air and climate significantly higher. Self-reported health improved more frequently in the mechanically ventilated new homes (p = 0.005). Almost no other significant differences between housing types and measuring time points were observed concerning health and wellbeing or housing satisfaction. Associations between vegetative symptoms (dizziness, nausea, headaches) and formaldehyde concentrations as well as between CO2 levels and perceived stale air were observed. However, both associations were independent of the type of ventilation. In summary, occupants of the mechanically ventilated homes rated their health status slightly higher and their health improved significantly more frequently than in occupants of the control group. As humidity in homes with mechanical ventilation was lower, it seems plausible that the inhabitants reported dry eyes more frequently.