Comprehensive survey on radon mitigation and indoor air quality in energy efficient buildings from Romania

Burghele, Bety-Denissa; Botoș, Marius Lucian; Beldean-Galea, Simion; Cucoş, Alexandra; Cătălina, Tiberiu; Dicu, Tiberius; Dobrei, Gabriel; Florică, Ştefan; Istrate, Andrei; Lupulescu, Alexandru; Moldovan, Mărioara; Niţă, D. C.; Papp, Botond; Pap, Istvan; Szacsvai, Kinga; Sàinz, Carlos; Tunyagi, A.; Tenter, Ancuta Radu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141858

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Through a graphical interface, ordinary users can observe the measurement results in the client, receive danger warnings and decision support suggestions. Burghele et al [24] used solid state nuclear track detectors to passively monitor radon and CO2 footprint in ten houses, and proposed personalized mitigation measures to meet residents' health and comfort needs.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Points Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Based on Internet of Things

et al. 2021

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Indoor air quality monitoring is of great importance to human health as people typically spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments. An indoor air quality detector (IAQD) enabling measurement of CO2, PM2.5, temperature, humidity, has been designed and tested in residential buildings based on Internet of Things (IoT). The hardware and software design of IAQD are described in detail, and seven IAQDs with Zigbee wireless module embedded were deployed in the target building for a continuous period of one month in winter. The gateway collects sensor data from each IAQD in turn at an interval of two minutes, and transmits data to server in the cloud via GPRS/4G. The authorized users can access cloud platform via mobile apps or the Web browser. Monitoring data analysis results reveal that the maximum PM2.5 concentrations is 10 times than usual during cooking period, and CO2 concentrations with the door closed will rise to 2500 ppm compared to the door opened at night, which threatens the health of occupants.

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Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Points Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Based on Internet of Things

et al. 2021

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“…Airtightness of buildings has been negatively linked to indoor radon levels [ 23 ]. However, while centralized and decentralized mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation with heat recovery yielded a good efficiency in radon reduction, the best performance was confirmed to be based on subslab depressurization (SSD) [ 24 ]. The inconvenience of implementing SSD systems in inhabited houses is related to the cost and the disruption of daily household activities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latest Trends in Pollutant Accumulations at Threatening Levels in Energy-Efficient Residential Buildings with and without Mechanical Ventilation: A Review

Niculita‐Hirzel

2022

IJERPH

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Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is a major target in developed countries toward decreasing their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. To meet this target, a large number of countries have established energy codes that require buildings to be airtight. While such a retrofitting approach has improved health outcomes in areas with heavy traffic, it has worsened the health outcomes in Nordic countries and increased the risk of lung cancer in areas with high levels of radon emissions. This review highlights the importance of adapting the characteristics of energy-efficient residential buildings to the location, age, and health of inhabitants to guarantee healthy indoor pollutant levels. The implementation of mechanical ventilation in new energy-efficient buildings has solved some of these problems; however, for others, a decrease in the level of outdoor pollutants was still required in order to achieve a good indoor air quality. A good balance between the air exchange rate and the air humidity level (adapted to the location) is key to ensuring that exposure to the various pollutants that accumulate inside energy-efficient buildings is low enough to avoid affecting inhabitants′ health. Evidence of the protective effect of mechanical ventilation should be sought in dwellings where natural ventilation allows pollutants to accumulate to threatening levels. More studies should be carried out in African and Asian countries, which, due to their rapid urbanization, use massive volumes of unproven/unrated building materials for fast-track construction, which are frequent sources of formaldehyde and VOC emissions.

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“…There were 11 exposure studies on radon [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] ( Table A1 ). Of these, 9 studies reported that energy efficiency thermal retrofitting in homes increased radon concentration [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 29 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Associations between Energy Use, Fuel Poverty, Energy Efficiency Improvements and Health

Wang

Norbäck

2022

IJERPH

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Energy use in buildings can influence the indoor environment. Studies on green buildings, energy saving measures, energy use, fuel poverty, and ventilation have been reviewed, following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The database PubMed was searched for articles published up to 1 October 2020. In total, 68 relevant peer-reviewed epidemiological or exposure studies on radon, biological agents, and chemicals were included. The main aim was to assess current knowledge on how energy saving measures and energy use can influence health. The included studies concluded that buildings classified as green buildings can improve health. More efficient heating and increased thermal insulation can improve health in homes experiencing fuel poverty. However, energy-saving measures in airtight buildings and thermal insulation without installation of mechanical ventilation can impair health. Energy efficiency retrofits can increase indoor radon which can cause lung cancer. Installation of a mechanical ventilation systems can solve many of the negative effects linked to airtight buildings and energy efficiency retrofits. However, higher ventilation flow can increase the indoor exposure to outdoor air pollutants in areas with high levels of outdoor air pollution. Finally, future research needs concerning energy aspects of buildings and health were identified.

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Comprehensive survey on radon mitigation and indoor air quality in energy efficient buildings from Romania

Cited by 30 publications

References 23 publications

Multi-Points Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Based on Internet of Things

Multi-Points Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Based on Internet of Things

Latest Trends in Pollutant Accumulations at Threatening Levels in Energy-Efficient Residential Buildings with and without Mechanical Ventilation: A Review

A Systematic Review of Associations between Energy Use, Fuel Poverty, Energy Efficiency Improvements and Health

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