Revision of China's national indoor air quality standards

摘要

China's national indoor air quality standard GB/T18883 was issued in November 2002 and was implemented on March 1, 2003. This standard specifies limits and ranges for a variety of factors. Physical metrics: temperature, relative humidity, air flow rate and fresh air volume; chemicals: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, ammonia, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, xylene, TVOC, benzo[a]pyrene, respirable particulate matter (PM10); biological indicator: total number of bacteria colonies; radioactive indicator: Rn222. The standard mainly applies to residential and office building indoor environments. This standard has been used for more than 15 years. With the rapid development of China's economy and society, indoor and outdoor environmental air pollution and people's lifestyles have changed greatly, and many new indoor air quality problems have emerged. Both the indicators and their limits need to be revised based on the latest evidence from air pollution health impact studies. Accordingly, the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China initiated revision of the standard in November 2018. To conduct this revision, we must first assess trends of indoor air quality and pollution sources in China. Do the existing standards address current issues of indoor air pollution in China? The WHO guidelines include standards for indoor benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, especially benzo[a]pyrene, radon, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, dampness and mold. Is this revision consistent with WHO? Indoor air pollutants can be ranked according to their toxicity, concentration and disease burden. We should determine if new air pollutants need to be added and whether the original limits of air pollutants need to be modified based on the latest evidence from health impact studies.