BSRIA has responded to an announcement by experts at the Glasgow School of Art stating that people who do not ventilate their homes properly expose themselves to harmful levels of pollutants.

BSRIA says that the promotion of safe building standards, correct air-tightness – Part L – must be deployed at all times.

Specialists at the Glasgow school's Mackintosh Environmental Research Unit (MEARU) said modern homes were being built to be airtight. This causes a build-up of harmful chemicals and moisture if householders do not open windows or vents. The unit has made a series of recommendations to reduce pollutants.

Head of the MEARU, professor Tim Sharpe, said: 'Poor indoor air quality, particularly in bedrooms, is hard for people to detect. There are clear links between poor ventilation and ill-health so people need to be aware of the build-up of CO2 and other pollutants in their homes and their potential impact on health.'

The MEARU conducted a survey of 200 homes which were constructed to modern, airtight standards. It found that most householders kept trickle vents closed, and bedroom windows closed at night.

BSRIA chief executive Julia Evans (pictured right) said: “BSRIA deals with domestic ventilation (Part F), including MEV and MVRH systems and measurement of indoor air quality, on a daily basis and promotes the importance of good ventilation. The undesired side effects and health issues people are exposed to when they don’t adopt this are tragic, especially asthma, which costs the NHS millions of pounds a year alone. This warning serves as a useful reminder for new home owners.”

In the UK, people spend approximately 80 per cent of their time indoors. The quality of indoor air is not only affected by ambient or external pollution but also from indoor sources. Inadequate ventilation means that levels of pollutants can be five times higher indoors than outdoors.