HVAC industry group, Eurovent, has called on the European Commission to introduce limits on the particulate matter concentration in the supply air of ventilation systems and to develop a comprehensive approach to PM and indoor air.
To reinforce the need for more legislation and standards, Eurovent has developed a Position Paper to foster greater recognition of the importance of adequate ventilation for the health and well-being of building occupants.
Although air quality considerations were incorporated in the recast Energy Performance in Buildings Directive, there are still no concrete enforceable IAQ requirements in the European Union (EU).
Ventilation systems play a crucial role in the quality of indoor air, but in the absence of EU regulatory requirements, they are not always adequately serviced, or components replaced.
Jan Andersson of Camfil, and chair of the Eurovent Product Group Air Filters, said developing a regulatory regime for IAQ is complex and there is no silver bullet.
“However, without any concrete legislation, the clean air needs of building occupants and the IAQ solutions that can meet them will remain undervalued,” Andersson said.
“With this Position Paper, we hope to make clear that a first concrete step towards enforceable limits on certain indoor pollutants – short of being a perfect solution – is better than the status quo.
“Eurovent does, and will continue to, support initiatives to make the building engineering sector more energy efficient and sustainable, but we cannot lose sight of functionality, health and safety considerations as well.”
The Position Paper focuses on particulate matter, which affects more people than any other pollutant. Exposure to PM can cause decreased lung function, skin and eye problems, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and dementia.
Andersson said the introduction of harmonised enforceable requirements across the EU would help protect building occupants from those risks and level the playing field for companies providing IAQ solutions.
A special report on the Position Paper is covered in CCN's Air Movement, Fans & Ventilation Feature in the September edition of the magazine.