scholarly journals Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution on Indoor Air Quality in Low-Income Homes during Wildfire Seasons

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prateek M. Shrestha ◽  
Jamie L. Humphrey ◽  
Elizabeth J. Carlton ◽  
John L. Adgate ◽  
Kelsey E. Barton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Indoor and outdoor number concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were monitored continuously for two to seven days in 28 low-income homes in Denver, Colorado, during the 2016 and 2017 wildfire seasons. In the absence of indoor sources, all outdoor pollutant concentrations were higher than indoors except for CO. Results showed that long-range wildfire plumes elevated median indoor PM2.5 concentrations by up to 4.6 times higher than outdoors. BC, CO, and NO2 mass concentrations were higher indoors in homes closer to roadways compared to those further away. Four of the homes with mechanical ventilation systems had 18% higher indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of PM2.5 and 4% higher I/O ratios of BC compared to other homes. Homes with exhaust stove hoods had PM2.5 I/O ratios 49% less than the homes with recirculating hoods and 55% less than the homes with no stove hoods installed. Homes with windows open for more than 12 hours a day during sampling had indoor BC 2.4 times higher than homes with windows closed. This study provides evidence that long-range wildfire plumes, road proximity, and occupant behavior have a combined effect on indoor air quality in low-income homes.

scholarly journals Multisensor IoT Platform for Optimising IAQ Levels in Buildings through a Smart Ventilation System

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Chiesa ◽  
Silvia Cesari ◽  
Miguel Garcia ◽  
Mohammad Issa ◽  
Shuyang Li
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issues have a direct impact on the health and comfort of building occupants. In this paper, an experimental low-cost system has been developed to address IAQ issues by using a distributed internet of things platform to control and monitor the indoor environment in building spaces while adopting a data-driven approach. The system is based on several real-time sensor data to model the indoor air quality and accurately control the ventilation system through algorithms to maintain a comfortable level of IAQ by balancing indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations using the Indoor Air Quality Index approach. This paper describes hardware and software details of the system as well as the algorithms, models, and control strategies of the proposed solution which can be integrated in detached ventilation systems. Furthermore, a mobile app has been developed to inform, in real time, different-expertise-user profiles showing indoor and outdoor IAQ conditions. The system is implemented in a small prototype box and early-validated with different test cases considering various pollutant concentrations, reaching a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3–4.

scholarly journals First steps in the development of a possible measurement method to estimate the radon concentration as an indicator of the indoor air quality

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (suppl.) ◽  
pp. 52-58
Author(s):  
Franz Roessler ◽  
Jai Azzam ◽  
Volker Grimm ◽  
Hans Hingmann ◽  
Tina Orovwighose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Rate ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Air Exchange Rate ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Air Exchange

The energy conservation regulation provides upper limits for the annual primary energy requirements for new buildings and old building renovation. The actions required could accompany a reduction of the air exchange rate and cause a degradation of the indoor air quality. In addition to climate and building specific aspects, the air exchange rate is essentially affected by the residents. Present methods for the estimation of the indoor air quality can only be effected under test conditions, whereby the influence of the residents cannot be considered and so an estimation under daily routine cannot be ensured. In the context of this contribution first steps of a method are presented, that allows an estimation of the progression of the air exchange rate under favourable conditions by using radon as an indicator. Therefore mathematical connections are established that could be affirmed practically in an experimental set-up. So this method could provide a tool that allows the estimation of the progression of the air exchange rate and in a later step the estimation of a correlating progression of air pollutant concentrations without limitations of using the dwelling.

scholarly journals Factors Impacting Range Hood Use in California Houses and Low-Income Apartments

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8870
Author(s):  
Haoran Zhao ◽  
Wanyu R. Chan ◽  
William W. Delp ◽  
Hao Tang ◽  
Iain S. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Actual Use ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Indoor Air Pollutants

Venting range hoods can control indoor air pollutants emitted during residential cooktop and oven cooking. To quantify their potential benefits, it is important to know how frequently and under what conditions range hoods are operated during cooking. We analyzed data from 54 single family houses and 17 low-income apartments in California in which cooking activities, range hood use, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were monitored for one week per home. Range hoods were used for 36% of cooking events in houses and 28% in apartments. The frequency of hood use increased with cooking frequency across homes. In both houses and apartments, the likelihood of hood use during a cooking event increased with the duration of cooktop burner use, but not with the duration of oven use. Actual hood use rates were higher in the homes of participants who self-reported more frequent use in a pre-study survey, but actual use was far lower than self-reported frequency. Residents in single family houses used range hoods more often when cooking caused a discernible increase in PM2.5. In apartments, residents used their range hood more often only when high concentrations of PM2.5 were generated during cooking.

Thermal comfort and indoor air quality in low-income housing in Spain: The influence of airtightness and occupant behaviour

2019 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 102-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesica Fernández-Agüera ◽  
Samuel Domínguez-Amarillo ◽  
Carmen Alonso ◽  
Fernando Martín-Consuegra
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Occupant Behaviour ◽  
Low Income Housing

Comparative study on indoor air quality in Japan and China: Characteristics of residential indoor and outdoor VOCs

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (40) ◽  
pp. 6352-6359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Ohura ◽  
Takashi Amagai ◽  
Xueyou Shen ◽  
Shuang Li ◽  
Ping Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor ◽  
Japan And China

scholarly journals Exposure to Particles and Gases in a Shopping Mall: Spatial Heterogeneity and Outdoor Infiltration

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
Alison Tan Yui Li ◽  
Wenwei Che ◽  
Yushan Song ◽  
Jimmy Chun Kung Tong ◽  
Alexis Kai Hon Lau
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Shopping Mall ◽  
Shopping Malls ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Building Geometry ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Shopping malls in Hong Kong are usually located near major roads. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in these buildings is subject to infiltration of outdoor traffic-related pollutants, such as PM10, PM2.5, CO, and NO2. Furthermore, the existence of indoor sources and building geometry added to the complexity of variations in IAQ. To understand outdoor infiltration and spatial heterogeneity of these pollutants, we conducted fixed and cruise indoor sampling, together with simultaneous outdoor measurements, in a typical mall in Hong Kong. The cruise sampling was conducted indoors on a predesigned route and repeated 15 times. Outdoor infiltration was quantified based on regression analysis between indoor and outdoor sampling. Results showed that 75% of PM2.5, 53% of PM10, and 59% of NO2 were infiltrated into the mall during opening hours. Elevated PM2.5 and CO were observed during the dinner period, suggesting an impact from cooking. Substantial spatial variations were observed for PM10, PM2.5, and NO2, particularly at locations near entrances and restaurants. Measures are needed to reduce pollution intrusion from building openings and cooking-related sources to improve air quality in the selected mall. Fixed and cruise sampling methods used in this study provide insights on sensor deployment for future air quality monitoring in buildings.

Analysis of Thermal Comfort and Air Quality in the Kindergarten Hart - A Case Study of a Unique Sustainable Building Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
pp. 500-507
Author(s):  
Matthias Schuss ◽  
Mahnameh Taheri ◽  
Ulrich Pont ◽  
Ardeshir Mahdavi
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

The present contribution, reports on the results of ongoing research efforts on performance assessment of a number of buildings designed by the Austrian architect, Konrad Frey. He is a pioneer of energy-efficient architecture, and his designs, those dating back to the 1970s, adapted the principles of modern solar houses. The current study focuses on the Kindergarten Hart, which was especially designed focusing on the availability of cross ventilation option in building. For the purpose of analyzing thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and the occupants’ adaptive actions with respect to natural ventilation, we conducted long-term monitoring under summer and winter conditions. The monitoring efforts covered indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, as well as the state of windows. Thereby, study of the monitored dataset provides a better understanding of the building performance. Moreover, it makes it possible to examine whether the architect’s expectations in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality levels are fulfilled or not. In addition, investigation of the occupants’ interactions with windows, together with indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, assists understanding of possible associations between the window opening/closing and environmental parameters, as well as potential optimization of the control-oriented actions.

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