Category Archives: indoor airpollution

indoor airpollution

Avoiding Paper Stacks in the Bedroom

Avoid Paper Stacks in Bedroom Chemical Cocktail Necessary for Paper Production – Some printed materials have such a distinct smell that the idea of storing them in living areas doesn’t even come to mind. However, since humans are naturally collectors and hunters, paper stacks inevitably accumulate somewhere in the house. But who really knows what chemicals are still contained in these paper stacks and how long these substances can contaminate the indoor air? It is known that the amount and type of chemicals released can vary significantly, depending on the type of paper, the manufacturing processes used, and the conditions under which the paper is stored. High temperatures and high indoor humidity accelerate the release of chemicals from paper products during storage.
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If the eyes are burning – think of formaldehyde

formaldehyde in an office

formaldehyde in an office

Sick in an office room

Six months ago Anne Hopf took up her new job in a public authority in North-Hesse/Germany. She is sitting in an office space of twenty square meters, together with a colleague. In the room are built-in wardrobes, shelves and many about seventy well-stocked folder. Four weeks ago Anne Hopf complains often of headaches and burning eyes. The colleague of Anne, however, has no complaints. The supervisor has addressed the matter and commissioned a building biologists for root cause analysis. Based on the described symptoms and the existing spatial features, the expert suggests an air sample in formaldehyde.
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Smelly tar glue under the wooden floor

Smelly tar glue under the wooden floor

Renovation of an old apartment turns into a lottery game

Marlene Sandner (Germany) wanted to replace the worn wooden floor in her old apartment in the city center with a new parquet floor. To her surprise, demolition work revealed a smelly old linoleum floor underneath the floorboards, which was obviously glued to the screed. The adhesive was already crumbling and showing signs of dissolution. After the linoleum was removed, remnants of the adhesive remained stuck to the screed. The flooring installer suggested sealing the surface twice with epoxy resin and smoothing out any remaining unevenness with a leveling compound. The new parquet was then to be laid on top. Marlene Sandner is still hesitant and is therefore seeking advice from the environmental consultancy.
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Building biologist first looks at the floor structure

Floor identified as source of pollutants

Floor identified as source of pollutants

How to find pollutants in the house

When looking for the source of pollutants in the indoor air, Oliver Zenkel always focuses on the floor first. The building biologist draws on several years of experience and also provides a simple reason. Although walls have the larger surface portion at a dwelling, but floors are usually multi-layered developed and thus substantially more susceptible for pollutant entries into the ambient air. Zenkel views flooring as a system in which not only the individual material plays a role, but also the interaction of the components.
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