Glossary

Vapors represent the gaseous phase of a substance that is normally liquid or solid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Air handling systems designed to condition air to a constant temperature and vary airflow to ensure thermal comfort.

A minimum amount of air required for IAQ and moisture control. This may be natural through leaks and infiltration or controlled in a tight house through a heat exchanger.

Defined as the total air, which is a combination of the air brought into a system from the outdoors and the air that is being recirculated within the building (Sometimes used to refer only to air brought into a system from the outdoors).

The rate at which outside air replaces indoor air (also referred to as air exchange rate), expressed in one of two ways-the number of changes of outside air per hour (ACH), or the rate at which a volume of outside air enters per unit of time (cubic feet per minute, or cfm).

The smallest of all life forms containing either RNA or DNA. Viruses are responsible for a variety of human infections.

Volatile Organic Compounds. Compounds that evaporate from housekeeping, maintenance, and building products made with organic chemicals. These compounds are released from product that are being used and are in storage. In sufficient quantities, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans. At present, not much is know about what health effects occur at the levels of VOCs typically found in public and commercial buildings.

Compounds that evaporate from housekeeping, maintenance, and building products made with organic chemicals. These compounds are released from product that are being used and are in storage. In sufficient quantities, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans. At present, not much is know about what health effects occur at the levels of VOCs typically found in public and commercial buildings.