Assessment of Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings of New England through Actual Data

Several studies on indoor air quality (IAQ) and sick building syndromes have been completed over the last decade, especially in cold countries. Efforts to make homes airtight to improve energy efficiency have created buildings with low ventilation rates, resulting in the build-up of indoor pollutants to harmful levels that would be otherwise unacceptable outdoors. This paper analyzed the infiltration rates, indoor temperatures, and variations in CO2, 2.5 μm particulate matter (PM2.5), and total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations over the fall of 2021 in several homes in New England, USA. A relationship between outdoor and indoor conditions and ventilation strategies has been set using the results from blower door tests and actual indoor air quality data. Although all case studies lacked mechanical ventilation devices, such as those required by ASHRAE Standard 62.2, natural ventilation and air leakage have been enough to keep VOCs and PM2.5 concentration levels at acceptable values most of the studied time. However, results revealed that 25% of a specific timeframe, the occupants have been exposed to concentration levels of CO2 above 1000 parts per million (ppm), which are considered potentially hazardous conditions.

PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT AWAM TERHADAP STANDAR DESAIN DAN KESIAPAN NEW-NORMAL PADA BIOSKOP DI INDONESIA

Wabah COVID 19 telah membuat banyak perubahan di segala sektor. Demi tetap berjalannya perekonomian, beberapa tempat usaha dan ruang publik lainnya dibuka di akhir tahun 2020, walau dalam kenyataannya Indonesia masih dalam status darurat COVID 19. Pemerintah sudah menyatakan ”berkawanlah dengan covid”, namun hal ini bukan berarti masyarakat menjadi tidak hati-hati dan tidak peduli dengan isu kesehatan. Segala aktifitas di ruang publik tetap perlu dibatasi dan disesuaikan dengan standar protokol kesehatan yang baru. Salah satu ruang publik yang akan beroperasi akhir tahun ini adalah bioskop. Sebagian masyarakat sudah merasa aman, namun beberapa juga masih meragukan mengingat persyaratan ruang bioskop yang harus tertutup, tidak ada pencahayaan dan penghawaan alami demi kualitas visual dan akustik di dalamnya, serta kemungkinnan berkumpulnya banyak orang dalam satu ruangan tertutup dalam durasi dua hingga tiga jam. Kurangnya sirkulasi udara juga menjadi salah satu penyebab sick building syndrome, namun bukan berarti hal ini tidak dapat diatasi dengan desain arsitektural.Metode yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini secara umum deskriptif kuantitatif dengan menyebarkan quisioner pada 117 responden yang usianya berkisar antara 17-59 tahun. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk merangkum persepsi masyarakat awam mengenai standar new normal, penerapan protocol kesehatan, serta desain interior bioskop yang memberikan kenyamanan dan rasa aman bagi pengguna

Evaluation of air quality in office rooms (case study: the rector’s office building of Syiah Kuala University)

The Rector’s Office Building of Syiah Kuala University is the administrative headquarters at Syiah Kuala University which has a high density schedule. Employees in the building, work for 8 hours a day in the building. Staying in a room for an extended period of time can lead to disease, particularly Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Poor air quality as a result of air pollution and poor air exchange is the primary cause of SBS. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the air quality in the room to prevent SBS. This research was conducted with a quantitative approach by measuring the physical and chemical quality of the indoor air. The study was conducted on two sample rooms, namely the administration room and the student affairs office. The method of collecting data is descriptive by evaluating based on the regulations of the minister of health and SNI. Air quality is also seen based on the results of room simulations using ANSYS 2019 R3. Based on the results of field measurements, the air quality in the room is not good. Thus, 60% of the employees in the Administration Room and 64.71% of the employees in the Student Affairs Office were infected with SBS.