This book collects the main scientific contributions presented at a NATO
Advanced Research Workshop entitled "Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality
Requirements in Hospitals" that was held in Milan, Italy, from September
13-16, 1995. The workshop was made possible through the funding support
of the NATO Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division and was
sponsored and supported in part by the International Centre for
Pesticide Safety, the Institute of Occupational Health ofthe University
ofMilano, the Politecnico of Milano, and the United States Environmental
Protection Agency. The workshop was held in the frame ofthe program
ofthe NATO/CCMS Pilot Study on Indoor Air Quality and in conjunction
with the international conference Healthy Buildings'95, whichwas
attended by more than 500 delegates. The contents ofthe book are
arranged in sixmainsections. The first section deals with the major
issues related to indoor air quality in hospitals, that are reviewed
from the North-American, Scandinavian, Italian and Russian perspective.
The second section discusses the ventilation requirements in hospitals,
with particular focus on design and maintenanceofthe ventilation
systemsand provisionofclean air to critical areas, such as infectious
disease wards, surgicaltheatres, etc. The third section is directed to
chemical and biological air pollution in hospitals and collects papers
from surveys carried out invarious countries. Airborne allergens in
hospitals is the subject of section 4. New problems have arisen for the
health care personnel from exposure to allergens and they are
illustrated with studies performed in North- America and England.
