Sven Andersson award
We spend most of our lives in some form of indoor environment. Indoor environments are therefore one of our most important environments and should be as healthy and good as possible. The Sven Andersson award for promoting healthy indoor environment was established by Centre for Healthy Indoor Environments (CHIE) to recognize all the important work being done, and all those who strive to create healthy indoor environments for us.
The Sven Andersson award aims to recognize and show appreciation to individuals, groups or organizations that have commendably contributed to creating healthy indoor environments. The prize is awarded to one or more people who have contributed to improving indoor environment, worked to increase awareness within the area, clarified its importance or contributed to creating healthy indoor environments. This can also include drawing attention to deficiencies in our indoor environments.
Sven Andersson
The award was established in Sven Andersson's name. Since the mid-1950s, Sven Andersson has been active in the ventilation industry as a designer, product developer, contractor, consultant, inspector, teacher, author, expert, administrator, etc. He was one of the first to draw attention to and need for removal and cleanup of asbestos in preschools and schools in the 1980s in Malmö. At the end of his professional career, he was a manager at City real estate (Stadsfastigheter) in Malmö until his retirement in 1992. Sven has been a pioneer in the field by both drawing attention to and remediating deficient indoor environments. He was an enthusiast who dared to speak his mind, engage in debates and thereby he pushed knowledge and its transfer forward. Within this field, he has carried out several extensive initiatives for the promotion of healthy indoor environments and has also been active at the Public Health Agency and the Asthma & Allergy Association. Sven's humanitarian work has included a great commitment to vulnerable groups and individuals in deficient indoor environments.
Sven Andersson Award for the promotion of healthy indoor envionments in 2022 was awarded to Kerstin Persson Waye
Motivation of the jury:
Kerstin Persson Waye receives the award because throughout her entire research career, with high accuracy and without compromise, she devoted herself to showing how noise that people are exposed to in everyday lives affects their health and well-being. With a background in environmental medicine, and with extensive knowledge of acoustics, she has shown that the nature of the sound, and not just the sound level, is important for the effects of exposure. Her research results have had a major impact on society. The studies on low-frequency noise are the basis for guideline values for workplaces and homes. The multidisciplinary research in schools and preschools with a focus on both children and educators has increased awareness of problems caused by poor sound environments, but also shown that there are solutions. The results from the studies in the sound environment laboratory in Gothenburg draw attention to the importance of undisturbed sleep in a home environment. Kerstin Persson Waye's high-quality research combined with a broad commitment to good indoor environments is unique, both nationally and internationally.
Sven Andersson Award for the promotion of healthy indoor envionments in 2019 was awarded to Eivor Svenonius Kinnander
Motivation of the jury:
Eivor Svenonius Kinnander receives the award because she realized early on that an important factor for children with asthma and allergies to feel well is access to healthy environments at home and at school, and because she then, through her research and commitment, showed that these environments can be improved. Based on her experience with asthma patients at Malmö General Hospital starting in the 60s, she has worked diligently for indoor environments free from moisture, mold and harmful emissions, and without smoking adults, something that has benefited not only patients, but all children. This has required great perseverance and many meetings with parents, politicians, officials and technicians. Eivor Svenonius Kinnander has combined great know-how, scientific perspective and practical and personal commitment in the best possible way, thus creating a foundation for future healthy indoor environments for children.