The need to go beyond the comfort-based dose-related indicators in our IEQ-guidelines

Abstract

Research has shown that even though the indoor environmental conditions seem to comply with current standards and guidelines and those conditions seem ‘comfortable’ enough, staying indoors is not good for our health. Reasons for this discrepancy might be the fact that these guidelines (such as ventilation rate, lighting level, and temperature ranges) are mainly based on single-dose response relationships (effect modelling using dose-related indicators) for the physical stressors (e.g. odour, light, sound, and temperature) determined for an average adult person. They are aimed at preventing short-term discomfort rather than long-term negative health effects, ignoring situation-related aspects and different preferences and needs of occupants. A more comprehensive model, accounting for integrated effects of all stressors, and different preferences and needs of occupants in different scenarios and situations, based on situation modelling making use of building and occupant-related indicators, is introduced and partly validated in a series of field studies in different scenarios. Based on the outcome of these field studies and insights from other studies, the methods, indicators and in particular the human model are discussed. Research directions to go beyond the mainly comfort-based dose-related indicators in our IEQ (indoor environmental quality)-guidelines are proposed.