Air quality - Exposure and effects

Indoor climate is increasingly acknowledged as an important factor for people's health, wellbeing, and productivity in their household, at work, in school, and doing transport

To improve indoor climate, we need to acquire deeper knowledge about the interrelations between harmful particles to our health and chemical substances in the air, discharges, exposures and the short- and long-term effects on children and adults.

Research efforts

Research in air quality has the purpose to promote our fundamental understanding of how different sources of pollution affects indoor climate and what effects it has on people.

  • We perform controlled laboratory tests in climate chambers as well as field studies in households, offices and schools
  • We examine the chemical processes that happens in the indoor environment. This covers both emissions (including human emissions) and their chemical reactions with particular focus on oxidative chemistry (such as ozone-initiated chemical reactions) in the air and on surfaces
  • We examine the interrelation between indoor chemistry and the creation of ultrafine- and nanoparticles
  • We research in people’s exposure for contaminating substances and the role different ways of exposure (intake, inhalation and absorption through the skin) has for the absorption and metabolism in the body.
  • We study the interrelation between ventilation/air purification and exposure/head. This includes intervention studies as well as the development of solutions for a better indoor climate

Cooperative partners

Studies of indoor climate, exposure and health are interdisciplinary and require cooperation with experts on a vast field of areas of expertise. We cooperate close with lead chemists within indoor climate, chemical engineers, experts in public health, toxicologists, microbiologists and occasionally psychologists and social scientists. Our partners include numerous leading actors from universities and research institutes around the world as well as industrial partners from the ventilation- air purifying- and counselling sectors.

Use in practice

Research contributes to the development of national and international certification systems for indoor climate, guidelines and recommendations. Our research in ventilation and air purifying has attracted attention from people in the industry where research results have contributed to development of products such as air purifiers, air filters, building ventilation and the like

Contact

Gabriel Bekö

Gabriel Bekö Associate Professor Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering Phone: +45 45254018

Pawel Wargocki

Pawel Wargocki Professor Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering Phone: +45 45254011