Decipols: Should We Use Them?

This paper provides a discussion on the use of the olf and the decipol. The validity of using these units to determine ventilation rates and compare pollution emission rates is discussed, in relation to their derivation and theoretical basis, and the method of application. A procedure has been developed for testing buildings by using a trained panel of people to rate air quality directly in decipol units. This was used in nine European countries as part of the ‘European Audit Project’. The practical limitations of this procedure, and the implications of the results obtained, are discussed in this paper.