UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE

INGENIERIA AMBIENTAL Y SANITARIA

FATE AND TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS
Group 01

APPLICATION OF THE IAQX (INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND INHALATION EXPOSURE)

SOFTWARE
Jeniffer Tabares1, Daniela Leiva 1 y Vanessa Alba 1
Deadline: September 15th, 2016

Family house modeling

For this exercise, the simulation of PM2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentration due to smoking in a
single family house is going to be conducted. The house has an indoor volume of 400 m 3 and air exchange
rate of 0.5 hr-1. A typical medium level smoker assumed for the study smokes 1.5 packs (30 cigarettes)
every day with average cigarette smoking duration of 10 min. Hence the estimated smoking emission rate
is 10.9 mg/10 min = 1.09 mg/min PM2.5 and 4.2 g/min BaP. Assuming 16 walking hours during which 30
cigarettes are smoked, approximately 2 cigarettes are smoked per hour by an individual. A typical
individual is estimated to spend 8 hours at work (8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) and to be awake until 10 p.m. Thus,
he/she has 5 hours at home to smoke 10 cigarettes. With 10 minutes of smoking time per cigarette, 100
minutes of smoking time was assumed to be distributed over 5 hours as a person moves through the
residence.

The patterns describing movement of people from room-to-room in their residence were adopted from
literature. Based on a sample of 30 people, during 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., residents spent an average of 60
minutes in the kitchen and 240 minutes in the living areas and bedrooms. Assuming the rate of cigarette
smoking was constant, the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked were assigned for
each zone in each floorplan.

Using the IAQX software simulate the PM2.5 and BaP concentrations (mg/m3) and inhalation exposure
(mg) in the house, first modeling the house a single zone and second as a multi-zone (kitchen and living
room separately). Compare the results. Assume that BaP degrades with a first order decay with k=0.693 h-
1. Note: for the multi-zone modeling exercise, you may need to make a floor plan to determine the
connection between rooms and ventilation rates

1
Facultad de Ingeniería Ambiental y Sanitaria
The emission for each cigarette is:
● 1,09mg/min PM2.5
● 4,2 µg/min BaP
With 10 minutes of smoking time per cigarette, were assume 100 minutes of smoking time to be distributed
over 5 hours as a person moves through the residence.

Starting the modelation:

The house has an indoor volume of 800m 3, because it has a height of 2m and an area of 400m2. And air
exchange rate of 0,5h−1.
3
m
Q= Air exchange rate∗Volume Q=0,5 h−1∗800 m3Q=400
h
Due to the fact that there is no accumulation and the volume is constant,
Q¿ =Qout
The emission is:
μg
3
∗0.001 mg
● m mg
15 =0,015 3
1 μg m

It must multiply for the flow to obtain the emission

mg m3 mg
0,015 3 ∗400 =6
m h h

mg 109 mg mg
● 1,09 ∗100 min= =21,8
min 5h h
μg
∗0.001 mg
● min 0,42mg mg
4,2 ∗100 min= =0,084
1 μg 5h h

Assume that BaP degrades with a first order decay with k =0,693 h−1 .
For the time of simulation they take 24h that is equivalent to one day and to index the points in the graph a
measure is necessary for every hour.
The graph of this information would stay of the following way:

At the graph is observed that the concentration becomes constant to from the sixth hour and the
concentration of the BaP to the being so low, is not observable to simple sight.

On having done the graphs separately of concentration and inhalation exposure would stay of the following
way:
Taking as inhalation exposure 14 L/min.

● PM2.5

At this graph is observed that the concentration is directly proportional to the time, in addition his
concentration becomes constant in the sixth hour.
At this graph is observed that the inhalation exposure is directly proportional to the time.

● BaP

In this graph is observed that the concentration is directly proportional to the time, in addition his
concentration becomes constant in the sixth hour.
 At this graph is observed that the inhalation exposure is directly proportional to the time.

● Family house multi-zone

The modelation of the house as a multi-zone was made using the information of the areas of each zone,
the kitchen was chosen as the first zone and the living area with the bedrooms as the second zone. We
assumed a height of 2m for the house, since the area of the kitchen is 50m 2 and the area of the living area
+ bedrooms is 350m2, as shown in the floor plan, therefore, the volumes of the zones 1 and 2 are 100m 3
and 700m3 respectively.
For the Ventilation tab we filled with the values of the air exchange flow rates, the air that goes inside the
zones and the circulation between the zones, the air exchange rate for a kitchen and a living area with
bedrooms are 40h-1 and 14 h-1 respectively. Since the flow rate for the house is 400m 3/h, we chose a
recirculation of 3800 m3/h between the zones.

After the ventilation tab is the sources tab, for the calculation of the emissions we used the information
presented in the exercise. Since the individual spends 5 hours at home smoking 2 cigarettes per hour, then
he smokes a total of 10 cigarettes, also, if he spends 10 minutes smoking each cigarette then the
emissions during the 5 hours are from 100 minutes of smoking, the total emissions are calculated as
follows:

● PM2.5

● Kitchen (2 cigarettes):
(1,56 mg/min)(20 minutes)
E PM 2.5= =31,2 mg /h
1h
● Living area, bedrooms (8 cigarettes):

(1,09 mg /min)(80 minutes)

E PM 2.5= =21,8 mg /h
4h
Outside the house there is a concentration of PM2.5 with enters with the air flow, the concentration is
0,015mg/m3 and Q= 400m3, for both zones, because the kitchen and the living area + bedrooms have
connection to the outside.

ZONE 1: Kitchen
ZONE 2: Living area + bedrooms.

The next tab shows the simulation conditions, since there isn’t an initial concentration of PM2.5 inside the
house the simulation doesn’t require non-zero initial concentration. The simulation process may take less
than half a day to stabilize the concentration of contaminants in the air, but still we chose a day and 24 data
points to represent the process.
Following this we compiled the current model and started the simulation. The Output tab shows us the
results of the calculations for the 24 points.

With this we can proceed to plot the concentration of the PM2.5 as a function of time. The concentration of
PM2.5 is stabilized around 8h from the starting point of the emission. Both areas present similar values of
concentration, but the kitchen produces a slightly higher emission of PM2.5.
Finally, the inhalation exposure is calculated assuming the breathing rate is 14 liter/min.

From the plot of inhalation exposure (mg) vs Elapsed time (h) we can conclude that there is a linear
relation between both variables. In addition, both zones show a similar behavior in time, the exposure is
almost the same being the kitchen a bit higher than the one from the living area.
● BaP
The emission in the kitchen is:
μg
∗0,001 mg
● min 0,084 mg mg
4,2 ∗20 min= =0,084
1 μg 1h h
The emission in the living room is:
μg
∗0,001 mg
● min 0,336 mg mg
4,2 ∗80 min= =0,084
1 μg 4h h

Assume that BaP degrades with a first order decay with k =0,693 h−1 .
The graph of this information would stay of the following way:
In the graph is observed that the concentration is constant in the kitchen from fifth hour and in the living
area from fourth hour. Additional is observed the concentration of Bap is directly proportional to the time.
Data of inhalation exposure is:
Taking as inhalation exposure 14 L/min. In the graph is observed that the inhalation exposure is directly
proportional to the time.

Convention center modeling

The IAQX software (with two zones) is used in analyzing the indoor air quality in a conference room with
smoking at given time intervals. Pollutant of interest is inhalable particles. The room consists of smokers
with given average number of cigarettes per hour. The rooms have known filtration rates and the
recirculation equipment rates are also know along with the location of the room.
First than all we calculated as an emission the mass flow for each one of the study zones, in this way:

Conference Room

4 cigarettes 10,9 mg mg
M c =4 smokers × × =174,4
hour × smoker cigarette h
Building (Convention center)

4 cigarettes 10,9 mg mg
M b=16 smokers × × =697,6
hour × smoker cigarette h
Screenshot 1 (Building tab). We opened the IAQX 1.1 program and started writing the name of the model
(Convention center modeling) as a note; at the same time, we established two (2) air zones, named each
one of these typing its name and respective volume.
Screenshot 2 (Ventilation tab). We assumed a constant ventilation rates and introduced this values
representing building make-up air (1700 m3/h), building re-circulated air (3800 m3/h) and conference room air
(600 m3/h) as the air exchange flow rates respectively.

Source tab. To introduce all source models we used Constant & Instant category to display the model
group and None-area constant source (emission rate) as the model. We can see it at 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10
screenshots.

Screenshot 3
Screenshot 4

We established as the pollutant name inhalable particles for every model description window

Screenshot 5. At the first model description window, we modify the constant emission rate (R0= 174,4
mg
/h), Location (zone= 1= Conference room) and the times (Start Time= 0, Remove Time= 3) because it
represents the first period when the conference room are occupied (9:00am-12noon).
Screenshot 6

Screenshot 7
Screenshot 8 At the second model description window, we modify the constant emission rate (R0= 174,4
mg
/h), Location (zone= 1= Conference room) and the times (Start Time= 5, Remove Time= 7) because it
represents the second period when the conference room are occupied (2:00pm-4:00pm).

Screenshot 9
Screenshot 10

Screenshot 11. At the third model description window, we modify the constant emission rate (R0= 697,6
mg
/h), Location (zone= 2= Building- Convention center) and the times (Start Time= 0, Remove Time= 7)
because it represents the first period when the conference room are occupied (9:00am-4:00pm).
We can identify all the source models used in this exercise at the 12 and 13 screenshots.

Screenshot 12

Screenshot 13
Screenshot 14 (Conditions tab). We stipulated a simulation period of 24 hours with its respective output
data points to analyze
Screenshot 15 (Output tab - Concentration). At the figure we can make out the concentration values for
Conference room and Building-Convention Center per hour for 24 hours

Screenshot 16 (Output tab - Exposure). At the figure we can make out the inhalation exposure values for
Conference room and Building-Convention Center per hour for 24 hours.

Screenshot 17 (Exposure Calculation). We edited breathing rate and changed 13,5 by 14 because the
program does not read the first value

Screenshot 18. Started to read the system with the √ symbol. Then we see the compilation was successful

The simulation software give us the chance to choose two plot options
The Screenshot 19 (Plot- Concentration)

Screenshot 20 (Simulation Results- Concentration). We identify clearly the inhalable particles

concentration increase when the potential smokers are in the system (Conference room- Building), the
concentrations in the conference room are higher if we compare with building concentrations because is
directly related with its volume. The concentration start to decrease at the seventh hour (4:00pm) keeping
in mind in this moment the zones are emptied (without smokers) ant stabilized around 15 hour.

Screenshot 21 (Plot- Inhalation exposure)

Screenshot 22 (Simulation Results- Inhalation exposure). Respect to the inhalation exposure we can
find a marked shift on the conference room plot in compare with the building cause the first one depends
exclusively of the smokers who are on it, in this case (average 4) and at the building considers the last
ones and those who wander in other areas inside its own smoking (average 16). When the plot indicates a
stabilization around 15 hour that means is safety or does not harm the health of those exposed to it.