Exposure to indoor air pollution in a reconstructed house from the Danish Iron Age

The adverse effects of air pollution on health have been recognised for millennia, but only in recent centuries they have been directly documented. In this paper evidence of the levels of exposure in the Danish Iron Age has been obtained from real measurements. The personal exposure to NO2 was measured over one week from 6 to 13 February 1999 for a person living in a reconstructed house from the Danish Iron Age (500 BC–700 AD). At the same time NO2 was measured close to the fireplace and next to the beds as well as outdoor at a distance of about 20 m from the house. Finally, 1 h average concentrations of benzene were measured for a 24 h period during the exposure measurement. A weekly average exposure of NO2 was measured to be 61.6 μg N m−3. In the house as high as 110.8 μg N m−3 weekly average was measured for NO2 and a 24 h average value of 45.8 μg m−3 was determined for benzene. The exposure is compared with the present levels.