In commercial buildings such as hotels, offices, etc. and cultural buildings like cinemas, theaters, etc., among many others, a relative humidity of between 40 and 60%RH is considered optimal.

Various studies recommend these limits for the comfort, health and general wellbeing of their inhabitants, prevention of static electricity and longevity of buildings

Minto Einkaufszentrum Mönchengladbach Pictures | Fisair

Humidity: bacteria y viruses

Human resistance to infection is reduced when extremes of moisture occur. At low humidity the usually protective nasal mucous membranes in the nose and upper respiratory tract dry out, exposing the living skin to direct contact with infectious organisms. Conversely, when the humidity is high, fungi can grow, releasing volatile, odorous, organic gases.

Some of these gases reduce our body’s immune response as collateral damage to its main objective: to eliminate the growth of other fungi with which they competen.

Humidity: mites and insects

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are most often observed in buildings with excess moisture in their structure and with high relative humidity in their environment. With a relative humidity of less than 50%, mites and insects have difficulty retaining enough water to reproduce and with a relative humidity of less than 40%, most insects and mites dry up and die.

Relative humidity and electrostatic electricity

When friction occurs between two surfaces, there will be an electrical load from the surface atoms stored on both surfaces, creating a potential difference. Most of the time, when both surfaces are connected to ground, these electrical loads discharge quickly, however, if the electrical resistance of the materials is high, sometimes this load will be released, or discharged, on another surface of lower electrical resistance. This discharge is known as an electrostatic energy discharge.

It is of particular importance to avoid these discharges in environments such as operating theatres, where medical personnel work with metallic, electrical instruments on a patient’s body.

Comfort

Our bodies cool down by dissipating heat that causes sweat to evaporate. At 21°C in winter we can be cold because we evaporate too much, due to low relative humidity. At 23°C in summer we can be hot even in light clothing because we do not manage to evaporate sweat, due to high relative humidity in the environment.

Some outstanding references

  • Hotel Korston, Kazan, Russia
  • BBVA Financial City, Madrid, Spain
  • Tower Europe
  • European Patent Office, Munich, Germany
  • Minto Shopping Centre, Mönchengladbach, Germany
  • Haus der Zukunft Berlin
  • Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
  • Eurodom Osijek – business and shopping center
  • CHEMIEZENTRUM DER UNIVERSITÄT WÜRZBURG
  • Berliner Schloss Humboldt Forum
  • Bergische Universität Griffeln Wuppertal
Patentamt München Pictures | Fisair
Patentamt München
Minto Einkaufszentrum Mönchengladbach Pictures | Fisair
Minto Einkaufszentrum Mönchengladbach
MSD Tiergesundheit Schwabenheim - animal health pictures | Fisair
MSD Tiergesundheit Schwabenheim - animal health
Haus der Zukunft Berlin pictures | Fisair
Haus der Zukunft Berlin
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena pictures | Fisair
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Eurodom Osijek - business and shopping center pictures | Fisair
Eurodom Osijek - business and shopping center
Chemiezentrum der Universität Würzbug pictures | Fisair
CHEMIEZENTRUM DER UNIVERSITÄT WÜRZBURG
Berliner Schloss Humboldt Forum Pictures | Fisair
Berliner Schloss Humboldt Forum
Bergische Universität Griffeln Wuppertal pictures | Fisair
Bergische Universität Griffeln Wuppertal
Hotel Korston Kazan picture | Fisair
Hotel Korston Kazan
BBVA Financial city | Fisair
Ciudad financiera BBVA
Torre Europa picture | Fisair
Torre-Europa

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