SIST EN ISO 16000-1:2006

Indoor air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy (ISO 16000-1:2004)

This part of ISO 16000 is intended to aid the planning of indoor pollution monitoring. Before a sampling strategy is devised for indoor air monitoring, it is necessary to clarify for what purposes, when, where, how often and over what periods of time monitoring is to be performed. The answers to these questions depend, in particular, on a number of special characteristics of the indoor environments, on the objective of the measurement and, finally, on the environment to be measured. This part of ISO 16000 deals with the significance of these factors and offers suggestions on how to develop a suitable sampling strategy. This part of ISO 16000 is applicable to indoor environments such as dwellings with living rooms, bedrooms, do-it-yourself rooms, recreation rooms and cellars, kitchens and bathrooms; workrooms or work places in buildings which are not subject to health and safety inspections in regard to air pollutants (for example, offices, sales premises); public buildings (for example hospitals, schools, kindergartens, sports halls, libraries, restaurants and bars, theatres, cinemas and other function rooms), and also cabins of vehicles[6].

Innenraumluftverunreinigungen - Teil 1: Allgemeine Aspekte der Probenahmestrategie (ISO 16000-1:2004)

Dieser Teil der ISO 16000 legt Hilfestellungen zur Planung von Messungen der Luftverunreinigungen in
Innenräumen fest.
Vor der Festlegung der Probenahmestrategie von Innenraumluftuntersuchungen ist es notwendig zu fragen,
für welchem Zweck, wann, wo, wie oft und über welche Dauer Proben genommen werden sollen. Die
Antworten auf diese Fragen hängen vor allem von einer Reihe besonderer Gesetzmäßigkeiten des
Innenraumes, vom Ziel der Messung und schließlich von dem zu untersuchenden Messobjekt ab. In diesem
Teil der ISO 16000 wird auf die Bedeutung dieser Einflussgrößen eingegangen und es werden Hinweise für
die Wahl einer geeigneten Probenahmestrategie bei Innenraumluftmessungen gegeben.
Dieser Teil der ISO 16000 ist für Innenräume anwendbar, die wie folgt definiert werden: Wohnungen mit
Wohn-, Schlaf-, Bastel-, Sport- und Kellerräumen, Küchen und Badezimmern; Arbeitsräume bzw.
Arbeitsplätze in Gebäuden, die nicht im Hinblick auf Luftschadstoffe arbeitsschutzrechtlichen Kontrollen
unterliegen (so z. B. Büros, Verkaufsräume); öffentliche Gebäude (Krankenhäuser, Schulen, Kindergärten,
Sporthallen, Bibliotheken, Restaurants, Gaststätten, Theater, Kinos und andere Veranstaltungsräume) sowie
die Fahrgasträume von Kraftfahrzeugen [6].
ANMERKUNG In einigen Ländern unterliegen Arbeitsplätze wie Büros und Verkaufsräume im Hinblick auf die
Luftverunreinigungen den Gesundheits- und Sicherheitsprüfungen.

Air intérieur - Partie 1: Aspects généraux de la stratégie d'échantillonnage (ISO 16000-1:2004)

L'ISO 16000-1:2004 est destinée à faciliter la planification du contrôle de la pollution de l'air intérieur.
Avant de mettre au point une stratégie d'échantillonnage pour le contrôle de la pollution de l'air intérieur, il est nécessaire de déterminer les objectifs, c'est-à-dire quand, où, à quelle fréquence et pendant quelles périodes de temps le contrôle peut être réalisé. Les réponses à ces questions dépendent, en particulier, d'un nombre de caractéristiques spécifiques de l'environnement de l'air intérieur, de l'objectif du mesurage et enfin de l'environnement à mesurer. L'ISO 16000-1:2004 aborde l'importance de ces facteurs et émet des propositions sur la manière de développer une stratégie d'échantillonnage adéquate.
L'ISO 16000-1:2004 s'applique aux environnements intérieurs tels que les logements ayant des salles de séjour, des chambres à coucher, des ateliers de bricolage, des salles de jeux, des caves, des cuisines et des salles de bain; les salles ou lieux de travail dans les bâtiments qui ne sont pas soumis à des inspections d'hygiène et de sécurité concernant les polluants de l'air intérieur (par exemple bureaux, locaux de vente); les bâtiments publics (par exemple hôpitaux, écoles, jardins d'enfants, salles de sport, bibliothèques, restaurants et bars, théâtres, cinémas et autres salles) et également les habitacles de véhicules.

Notranji zrak – 1. del: Splošni vidiki strategije vzorčenja (ISO 16000-1:2004)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2006
• ICS: 13.040.20 - Ambient atmospheres
• Technical Committee: KAZ - Air quality
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 01-Jul-2006
• Due Date: 01-Jul-2006
• Completion Date: 01-Jul-2006
• Directive: 89/106/EEC - Construction products
• Ref Project: EN ISO 16000-1:2006 - Indoor air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy (ISO 16000-1:2004)

Relations

• Revised: SIST ISO 16000-1:2004 - Indoor air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy
• Effective Date: 21-Oct-2011

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN ISO 16000-1:2006
01-julij-2006
1RWUDQML]UDN±GHO6SORãQLYLGLNLVWUDWHJLMHY]RUþHQMD,62
Indoor air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy (ISO 16000-1:2004)
Innenraumluftverunreinigungen - Teil 1: Allgemeine Aspekte der Probenahmestrategie
(ISO 16000-1:2004)
Air intérieur - Partie 1: Aspects généraux de la stratégie d'échantillonnage (ISO 16000-
1:2004)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 16000-1:2006
ICS:
13.040.20
SIST EN ISO 16000-1:2006 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN ISO 16000-1
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2006
ICS 13.040.20

English Version
Indoor air - Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy (ISO
16000-1:2004)
Air intérieur - Partie 1: Aspects généraux de la stratégie Innenraumluftverunreinigungen - Teil 1: Allgemeine
d'échantillonnage (ISO 16000-1:2004) Aspekte der Probenahmestrategie (ISO 16000-1:2004)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 9 March 2006.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official
versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2006 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 16000-1:2006: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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EN ISO 16000-1:2006 (E)
Foreword
The text of ISO 16000-1:2004 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 146 "Air quality" of the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 16000-1:2006 by
Technical Committee CEN/TC 264 “Air quality” the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2006, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at
the latest by October 2006.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 16000-1:2004 has been approved by CEN as a EN ISO 16000-1:2006 without any
modification.
ISO 16000 consists of the following parts, under the general title Indoor air:
 Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy
 Part 2: Measurement strategy for formaldehyde
 Part 3: Determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds – Active sampling method
 Part 4: Determination of formaldehyde – Diffusive sampling method
 Part 6: Determination of volatile organic compounds in indoor and test chamber air by active sampling on
Tenax TA sorbent, thermal desorption and gas-chromatography using MS/FID
 Part 9: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products and furnishing
– Emission test chamber method
 Part 10: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products and
furnishing – Emission test cell method
 Part 11: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products and
furnishing – Sampling, storage of samples and preparation of test specimens
The following parts are under preparation:
 Part 5: Sampling strategy for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
 Part 7: Sampling strategy for determination of airborne asbestos fibre concentrations
 Part 8: Ventilation rate measurement


2

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INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16000-1
First edition
2004-07-01

Indoor air —
Part 1:
General aspects of sampling strategy
Air intérieur —
Partie 1: Aspects généraux de la stratégie d'échantillonnage




Reference number
ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
©
ISO 2004

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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
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ii © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Special characteristics of the indoor environment . 1
4 Measurement objective . 3
5 Sampling procedure . 3
6 Time of sampling. 4
7 Sampling duration and sampling frequency. 4
8 Sampling location . 6
9 Parallel outdoor air measurements. 6
Annex A (informative) Important types of indoor environment and sources of air pollutants . 7
Annex B (informative) Sources of indoor air pollutants. 8
Annex C (informative) Examples of substances and their sources . 10
Annex D (informative) Guidelines for information to be recorded during indoor air measurement. 13
Bibliography . 21

© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved iii

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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 16000-1 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 146, Air quality, Subcommittee SC 6, Indoor air.
ISO 16000 consists of the following parts, under the general title Indoor air:
 Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy
 Part 2: Sampling strategy for formaldehyde
 Part 3: Determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds — Active sampling method
 Part 4: Determination of formaldehyde — Diffusive sampling method
 Part 6: Determination of volatile organic compounds in indoor and test chamber air by active sampling on
Tenax TA sorbent, thermal desorption and gas chromatography using MS/FID
 Part 9: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds — Emission test chamber method
 Part 10: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds — Emission test cell method
 Part 11: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds — Sampling, storage of samples
and preparation of test specimens
The following parts are under preparation:
 Part 5: Sampling strategy for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
 Part 7: Sampling strategy for determination of airborne asbestos fibre concentrations
 Part 8: Ventilation rate measurement
iv © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
Introduction
The ISO 16000 series deals with indoor air measurements. This part of ISO 16000 is intended as an aid to
planning indoor air pollution measurements. Additional parts of ISO 16000 describe the sampling strategy,
including the conditions to be observed for the particular substances or groups of substances, such as the
dependence of indoor air pollution concentrations on atmospheric humidity or temperature or other effects.
The actual procedures dealing with indoor air measurements for the individual substances are also presented
in other parts of ISO 16000.
An inappropriate monitoring strategy can contribute to the overall uncertainty of the measurement result to a
greater extend than the monitoring procedure itself.
Attention should be given to the special role of the human sense of smell in identifying substances or classes
of substances in indoor air. Here it is not so much the sensitivity of the sense of smell, but the memory of
smell and the experience of the specialist (chemist, perfume specialist) that is important. Sensory information
can greatly simplify the identification of air pollutants and consequently influence the sampling strategy.
However, sensoric adaptation affects the sensory information, particularly in the case of persistent indoor
pollutants.
The interpretation of indoor air measurements is assisted by the use of guideline values for acceptable indoor
air quality. To draw a conclusion about whether and to what extent the concentrations of a pollutant measured
in a room exceed the normal level or the level acceptable from the standpoint of health, it is useful to rely on
guideline values or published literature. The column “Remarks” of Table C.1 (see Annex C) gives available
[1]
World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for indoor air . It is emphasized, however, that these
values are not legally binding. In the absence of published guideline values, the investigator may consult peer
reviewed journal articles or other literature for guidance on typical values observed in buildings without
reported complaints.
Representatives of various technical fields should be involved in the planning of indoor air quality
measurements.
Table A.1 of this part of ISO 16000 summarizes the most important types of indoor environment, and
examples of the sources that may be encountered in them. The list is not, of course, fully comprehensive
because of the large number of possibilities.
Table B.1 shows the sources of indoor air pollutants and the most important substances emitted. Table C.1
lists substances frequently detected and their possible sources. In some cases, the sources of indoor pollution
arise outside the building; for example, benzene from vehicle traffic and petrol stations, and chlorinated
hydrocarbons from nearby dry-cleaning establishments. Soil emissions may also be important if, for example,
buildings have been erected on old landfills, industrial sites, or uranium-containing soils which emit radon.
Annex D contains a checklist relating to information to be recorded when indoor air measurements are carried
out. This list is also intended to aid the user of this part of ISO 16000 in the subsequent assessment of the
analytical result.
[2]
The sampling strategy procedure described in this part of ISO 16000 is based on Guideline VDI 4300 Part 1 .
[3], [4], [5]
Similar national standards exist .

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16000-1:2004(E)

Indoor air —
Part 1:
General aspects of sampling strategy
1 Scope
This part of ISO 16000 is intended to aid the planning of indoor pollution monitoring.
Before a sampling strategy is devised for indoor air monitoring, it is necessary to clarify for what purposes,
when, where, how often and over what periods of time monitoring is to be performed. The answers to these
questions depend, in particular, on a number of special characteristics of the indoor environments, on the
objective of the measurement and, finally, on the environment to be measured. This part of ISO 16000 deals
with the significance of these factors and offers suggestions on how to develop a suitable sampling strategy.
This part of ISO 16000 is applicable to indoor environments such as dwellings with living rooms, bedrooms,
do-it-yourself rooms, recreation rooms and cellars, kitchens and bathrooms; workrooms or work places in
buildings which are not subject to health and safety inspections in regard to air pollutants (for example, offices,
sales premises); public buildings (for example hospitals, schools, kindergartens, sports halls, libraries,
[6]
restaurants and bars, theatres, cinemas and other function rooms), and also cabins of vehicles .
NOTE In some countries, workplaces such as offices and sales premises are subject to health and safety inspections
with regard to air pollutants.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM), BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP,
OIML, 1995
3 Special characteristics of the indoor environment
Careful planning of sampling and the entire measurement strategy are of particular significance since the
result of the measurement may have far-reaching consequences (e.g. with regard to the need for remedial
action or the success of such an action).
The determination of indoor air pollutants proceeds, as a rule, by either of two approaches.
a) Sampling is carried out on-site using instruments that are as manageable and simple as possible, and
subsequently analysis is carried out in the laboratory; or
b) sampling and analysis are performed on-site by direct-reading measuring systems.
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved 1

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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
An indoor environment is rarely static, since the concentration of any substance may be constantly altered by
the strength of the source, human activity, ventilation rate, external or internal climatic conditions, chemical
reactions and possible sinks (e.g. sorption by surfaces and furnishings). Because of the proximity of source to
receptor, human exposure in the indoor environment is of special concern. In addition, the composition of
indoor air may vary within and between rooms, and be less homogeneous than the outdoor air surrounding
the building.
Equation (1) describes a simplified relationship of some of the parameters that affect the concentration of a
substance in indoor air. In special cases, e.g. fibres [asbestos, MMF (man-made fibres)] additional boundary
conditions should be considered (see ISO 16000-7).
d/ρρdtq=+/V n−fρ−nρ (1)
( )
ioii
where
ρ is the mass concentration of substance in indoor air, in milligrams per cubic metre;
i
q is the strength (mass flowrate) of the source, in milligrams per hour;
V is the volume of the room, in cubic metres;
n is the number of air changes per hour;
ρ is the mass concentration of substance in outdoor-air, in milligrams per cubic metre;
o
f is the elimination factor per hour;
t is the time, in hours.
The left-hand side of the equation represents the change in the concentration of the substance with time. The
first two terms on the right-hand side describe the increase in the concentration due to emissions from a
source and the penetration of outdoor air, while the last two terms represent the decrease in the concentration
which may result from removal by ventilation or from elimination mechanisms, such as sorption of the
compound by textiles in the room.
The most important term in Equation (1) is the source strength. It is often observed to vary with time, but this
is not taken into account by Equation (1). If it is found that the variation is of particular significance, a more
complex equation is needed. Depending on how the strength varies with time, a distinction can be made
between a constant and a variable source strength, and both cases can be subdivided still further into regular
and irregular emissions. The strength of continuous sources may also depend on room temperature, the
relative humidity and the amount of movement of the air in the room, and may only change in the long term;
i.e. over weeks and months. The emission rate of intermittent sources is generally only slightly affected by
room-climate parameters and often varies within much shorter periods of time.
Particle board with aminoplastic bonding is an example of a source that continually emits pollutants into the air.
Such a source emits formaldehyde over long periods of time in amounts that depend heavily on environmental
factors such as temperature and relative humidity.
A gas cooker, which may be operated at varying conditions according to cooking requirements, is an example
of an intermittent source having variable strength. However, a very regular emission pattern may be observed
from day to day, since the preparation of meals is often subject to a regular schedule.
The occasional use of insecticide sprays represents a combination of an intermittent source and an irregular
emission pattern.
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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
4 Measurement objective
Indoor air measurements are mainly undertaken for the following five reasons, of which the first may be
unrelated to, or may evoke the other four:
a) complaints by users about poor air quality,
b) the need to determine the exposure of occupants to certain substances,
c) the need to measure whether specified limit or Guideline values are being maintained,
d) testing the effectiveness of remedial treatment.
e) observed or suspected effects on the occupants' health.
In the first case an extended search for the causes of the complaint may be necessary, including the use of a
questionnnaire to obtain a systematic record of the complaints. Often, there is a need to adapt the sampling
strategy to the individual case. The other situations are easier to address, because information is available
about the substances to be determined before monitoring is started.
The nature of a substance, its concentration and its effect on humans can also have a considerable influence
on the boundary conditions chosen for the monitoring effort. Thus, in assessing the health implications of
irritants, the maximum allowable exposure over short periods of time tends to be of interest. In the case of
compounds that have potential long-term health effects (i.e. carcinogenic compounds), it is generally the
mean exposure over fairly long periods of time that is of interest.
5 Sampling procedure
Sampling methods intended for outdoor use can often be used for sampling indoor air, provided that the
equipment is suitable for the measurement task and does not have a substantial adverse effect on the normal
use of the rooms in which it is used because of size, sampling rate and noise. This is particularly important in
residential monitoring. In this case, the instrument used should be relatively noise-free and its sampling rate
should not interfere with the normal ventilation rate. In positioning the monitoring equipment, consideration
should be given to the fact that the concentration of the indoor air may not be homogeneous.
Time resolution of the measurement is an important factor. Different techniques may give different time
resolutions, which will affect the interpretation of the result observed.
The hourly sampling volume in the room shall be less than 10 % of the ventilation rate. If the ventilation rate
value is not available or cannot be measured, the hourly sampling volume should be less than 10 % of the
room volume.
For determination of average concentrations of a substance over fairly long time periods (e.g. 8 h), diffusive
samplers, which do not have some of the disadvantages of active samplers, may be used. However, care
should be taken to assure that diffusion-controlled samplers are used only in areas with adequate ventilation
such that the specified face velocity is maintained. Suitable quality assurance procedures in accordance with
ISO/IEC 17025 shall be followed for both active and diffusive sampling.
NOTE 1 It is usual to refer to sampling times of up to 1 h as short-term sampling, and to times ranging from several
hours to several days as long-term sampling.
NOTE 2 Sampling procedures are described in other parts of ISO 16000.
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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
6 Time of sampling
It is essential to take into account the variation in the concentration of air pollutants with time when evaluating
a measurement result. Pollutants such as cigarette smoke and chemical vapours (e.g. for cleaning) shall first
be ventilated from indoor air, unless there is intention to take these pollutants into account for the evaluation of
the measurement results.
Important parameters to which attention shall be paid in choosing the sampling time are the ventilation, the
nature of the sources, the occupants and their activities, the type of indoor environment, the temperature and
the relative humidity.
Opening a window inevitably decreases the substance concentration in a room (provided the outdoor air is not
more heavily polluted with the substance of concern), and it may also disturb a previously established
equilibrium.
In the case of short-term sampling, it is impossible to obtain representative results if sampling is started
immediately after ventilation. If the substance to be determined is emitted constantly and continuously, for
example by building materials or furnishings, several hours shall be allowed for the establishment of
equilibrium after ventilating by opening a window. This effect is also important for long-term sampling.
However, it is less important than for short-term sampling, especially if the sampling is carried out for a long
time and under the actual living conditions.
For the reasons mentioned, it is important to plan the time of monitoring carefully, taking into account the
interval of time between the end of the last ventilation and the start of sampling. If there are no serious
objections, the procedure for short-term sampling shall include a waiting time of several hours after a change
in ventilation before sampling is begun. Indications of the interval of time to be chosen in individual cases are
found in other parts of ISO 16000 relating to the particular substance or group of substances (e.g.
ISO 16000-2 and ISO 16000-5).
If indoor air pollutants are due to emissions from intermittent sources, the time of sampling depends on the
monitoring objectives. It may correspond to the peak exposure period or cover the average exposure over a
longer period.
If the building or room is equipped with a heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, additional
aspects shall be considered. For example, undesirable emissions may result from the HVAC system itself (e.g.
from sealing materials, humidifier water, dust deposits), resulting in pollutants from one room being distributed
throughout the entire building, especially if the HVAC has a high recirculation rate. Finally, the outdoor air
drawn in by the HVAC may contain a high level of pollution (e.g. due to nearby sources). The operating
parameters and the state of maintenance of the HVAC system shall always be included in the test report
relating to an indoor air sample, and if operation is intermittent or restricted, at least 3 h shall be allowed to
elapse with the HVAC system performing normally before sampling is started (see also Clause 8).
7 Sampling duration and sampling frequency
The duration of sampling is determined by
 the nature of the substances under consideration,
 the potential health effects of the targeted substance,
 the emission characteristics of the source,
 the limits of quantification of the analytical method,
 the measurement objective.
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ISO 16000-1:2004(E)
In many cases, particularly if only a few measurements are made, it is necessary to make compromises that
do not take into account all three aspects at the same time.
The sampling duration chosen is particularly important in relation to the potential health effects of the targeted
substance. For substances causing acute health effects, short-term sampling should be used, whereas
long-term sampling should be used for substances having chronic effects on health. Long-term sampling
methods do not detect short-term peaks in concentration. This may result in difficulties in interpretation of the
measurement results, particularly if a substance also has a short-term effect on health.
In relation to the emission characteristics of the source, it is clear that emissions from a source that emits only
for a short time can only reasonably be determined by a short-term measurement. Conversely, sources with
long-term emissions are best dealt with by long-term measurements. However, it is quite possible that there
are deviations from this general rule. For example, the short-term peak concentration of an insecticide due to
aerosol spraying can only be determined with a short-term measurement, but long-term sampling may be
quite appropriate after spraying if residual concentration levels in the room are of primary interest.
In some cases, the emission characteristics of suspected sources are initially unknown. In such cases, a
continuous recording of measured quantities, for example total gaseous organic compounds using a flame
ionization detector (
...