NEWSLETTER No 2
October 2006
A new European initiative for healthy buildings.
“Prioritization of building materials as indoor pollution sourcesBUMA”
On October 9, 2006 in Larnaca, Cyprus took place the second meeting of the BUMA project
(Prioritization of building materials as indoor pollution sources), partly funded by the 2003-2008
Public Health Program (PHP) of the European Commission Health & Consumer Protection DG
(DG SANCO).
The BUMA project aspires to gain a better understanding of the sources of hazardous compounds
existing in the indoor environment and play a key role in the determination of the well-being and
comfortable living of the occupants. Concerning the emitted compounds the focus will be on the
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) e.g. benzene and its homologues and the low molecular
weight carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones e.g. formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone). The outputs
of the BUMA project are expected to be used by policy makers, health professionals and building
material producers in Europe and elsewhere.
During the meeting important decisions have been taken with respect to field and laboratory
experimental planning.
In order to assess the indoor air quality of private and public buildings among Europe,
experimental campaigns have been planned in five (5) European cities . The measurement
campaigns will be conducted at two different seasons in each city and in each of them two public
buildings (a school and an office) and two private houses will be included.
NEWSLETTER No 2
October 2006
Month
City
Jan. 2007
Nicosia
Feb. 2007
Athens
May. 2007
Copenhagen
May.2007
Dublin
Nov. 2007
Milan
Jan. 2008
Copenhagen
Feb. 2008
Dublin
May. 2008
Milan
May. 2008
Athens
Sep. 2008
Nicosia
Concerning laboratory testing, five (5) construction products covered under the Construction
Products Directive (89/106/EC) and three (3) other building materials which are not covered
under the CPD will be tested in the INDOORTRON facility located at the Joint Research Center
(JRC) in Ispra, in order their chemical emissions to be assessed. The experiments will be
conducted under controlled conditions of illumination, temperature, humidity and air change rate,
as specified in the ECA report No 18. The environmental chamber tests are expected to start on
January 2007 .
Prof. J.G. Bartzis
BUMA Project coordinator
bartzis@uowm.gr