INDOOR AIR QUALITY

By
Aayush Khanal
Nabin Raj Chaulagain
Prajwol Pokharel
Sandesh Basnet
Contents
• Indoor Air Pollutants
• Sources of Indoor Pollutants
• Control Strategies
• Ventilation and Ventilation Standards
• Household Smoke Pollution and its Effects to the Residents
 WHAT?
• Air quality within and around building and structures.
• Spend about 90% of the time indoors

• Take 20,000+ breathes every day

 Responsible for about 3% of global deaths.
Increases to 6% in low income countries.
 INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
Lead
Carbon Nitrogen
Monoxide dioxide

Asbestos Pollutants Pesticides

Biological Stoves and Radon

Heaters
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• LEAD
Particularly harmful to children.
Lead from dust and soil can go into children’s mouth.
Major Sources: Lead based paint , lead contaminated soil , lead
painted toys.
Exposure from dry scraping, sanding and open flame burning.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Major Sources:
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• NITROGEN DIOXIDE
Irritant affecting eyes, nose and respiratory tract.
Continuous exposure can cause acute or chronic bronchitis.
High level exposure can result in pulmonary edema and lung injury.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• ASBESTOS
Mineral Fiber that occurs in rock and soil.
Can be used as insulation and fire retardant.
Major Sources: Asbestos tiles, roofing , cement and heat resistant
fabric
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• CARBON MONOXIDE
Odorless, colorless and toxic.
Can kill you before you are aware of it.
Produced by incomplete combustion of fuels.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• CARBON MONOXIDE
SOURCES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• CARBON MONOXIDE
EFFECTS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• CARBON MONOXIDE
EFFECTS
i. Low Concentration: Fatigue , Chest pain
ii. Medium Concentration: Impaired vision, Reduced brain function
iii. High Concentration: Severe Headache, Nausea, Dizziness

Effects are due to formation of carboxyhemoglobin in blood, which

inhibits oxygen intake.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• RADON
Radioactive gas which forms naturally when radium or uranium
breaks down in rocks, soil and groundwater.
Second leading cause of lung cancer.
Testing is the only way to know amount of exposure.

Radon causes 21,000 lung cancer death per year in the U.S. About
2,900 of those deaths occur in people who have never smoked.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• RADON
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• PESTICIDES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• PESTICIDES
Chemicals used to kill or control pests.
About 80% of most people’s exposure occurs indoors.
Can be found as sprays, liquid, sticks, powder or balls.
Children’s health can also be affected by Inert agent.
Both active and inert agent are organic and can add to airborne
organics in home.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• PESTICIDES
Health Effects
Irritation to eye, nose and throat
 Damage to central nervous system and kidney
Increased risk of cancer
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• STOVES
ONLY 60% OF THE WORLD HAS ACCESS TO CLEAN
COOKING FUELS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS
• BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
Sources
Pollens from plants
Virus, transmitted by people and animals
Household pets
Body parts from cockroaches and rhodents
Urine of rats and mice
Contaminated air handling systems
INDOOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT
IAQ MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
• Team approach
• Identification and Assessment
• Development and implementation of plan
• Periodic inspection
• Development of logs
• Repairs and Upgrades
IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT
• Identifying pollutant source
• Evaluating HVAC system performances
• Measuring contamination level
CONTROL METHODS
• SOURCE MANAGEMENT
• Installing low VOC emitter carpets
• No VOC paints
• LOCAL EXHAUST
• Canopy hood
• Removing point source of pollutants before it disperses in the room
• GENERAL DILUTION VENTILATION
• Dilutes and removes odor and other contaminants
• Controls temperature and relative humidity
• Controls normal amount of air pollution
Engineering Controls
• Removal of particles from the air
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
• Work schedule
• Education
• Housekeeping
• Seeking Professional Assessment
WORK SCHEDULE
• Eliminate or reduce the amount of time the worker is exposed to the
pollutant
• Reduce the amount of pollutants used by workers or near workers
• Control the location of chemical use
EDUCATION

• Education about the IAQ

standards to the building
occupants
• Education regarding effects
of pollutants
• Education about the proper
operation of ventilation
HOUSEKEEPING

• Preventing dirt form

entering the room. Eg:
using door mat
• Disposal of garbage
• Removal of indoor dirt
SEEKING
PROFESSIONAL
ASSISTANCE
• Problems that cannot
be solved by the
normal housekeeping
techniques
Examples
1. Structural Engineers
2. Architects
3. Mechanical Engineers
4. Industrial Hygienist
ventilation
Intentional introduction of outdoor air into a space to control indoor
air quality
Diluting and displacing indoor pollutants, comfort, dehumidification
Removes contaminants, smells
Supply of fresh air or oxygen
Removes products of respiration and occupation: heat, moisture, CO2
types of ventilation
NATURAL VENTILATION
• Passive system
• Planned openings like doors, windows, vents, louvers
• Convection, diffusion, wind, stack effect
MECHANICAL VENTILATION
• Use of fans, blowers, pressurized system
• Integrated to HVAC system
MIXED OR HYBRID VENTILATION
INFILTRATION
Stack or chimney effect
Based on convection and differential
pressure
Warm air rises up and escapes from
top while cold air is sucked at ground
entrance
On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West
London, at 00:54 BST; it caused 72 deaths. The fire was started by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer on the fourth
floor. It spread rapidly up the building's exterior, bringing fire and smoke to all the residential floors. This was
due to the building's cladding, the external insulation and the air gap between which enabled the stack effect.
It burned for about 60 hours before finally being extinguished.
Types of ventilation systems
Types of ventilation systems
Types of ventilation systems
Types of ventilation systems
Types of ventilation systems
Types of ventilation systems
Ventilation Rate
Volumetric flow rate of outside air being introduced into the building
Measured in CFM(cubic feet per minute) or L/s(liters per second)
Per person or per unit floor area basis: CFM/p or CFM/ft2 or ACH(air
changes per hour)
Natural ventilation: total area of ventilation openings >=1/20 of total
floor area of the room
Mechanical ventilation: 1 ACH for habitable rooms and 3 ACH to
bathrooms and kitchens
GENERAL MECHANICAL VENTILATION
RATE
 Ventilation rate(m3/h)= air change rate(/h) * room volume(m3)

FRESH AIR VENTILATION RATE

 Fresh air ventilation rate(m3/s)= fresh air rate per person(l/s/p) *no of
occupants
Ventilation Rate standards
Air quality assessed through CO2 measurement
ANSI/ASHRAE (Standard 62-89) speculated that "comfort (odour) criteria
are likely to be satisfied if the ventilation rate is set so that 1,000 ppm
CO2 is not exceeded" while OSHA has set a limit of 5000 ppm over 8 hours
Ventilation guidelines are based upon the minimum ventilation rate
required to maintain acceptable levels of bio effluents. CO2 is used as a
reference point, as it is the gas of highest emission at a relatively constant
value of 0.005 L/s. The mass balance equation is:
Q = G/ (Ci − Ca)
where, Q = ventilation rate (L/s)
G = CO2 generation rate
Ci = acceptable indoor CO2 concentration
Ca = ambient CO2 concentration
 HISTORICAL VENTILATION RATES
AUTHOR OR VENTILATION RATE VENTILATION RATE
YEAR BASIS OR RATIONALE
SOURCE (IP) (SI)
Basic metabolic needs, breathing rate,
Tredgold 1836 4 CFM per person 2 L/s per person
and candle burning
Indoor air hygiene, preventing spread of
Billings 1895 30 CFM per person 15 L/s per person
disease
Excessive temperature or unpleasant
Flugge 1905 30 CFM per person 15 L/s per person
odor
Based on Billings, Flugge and
ASHVE 1914 30 CFM per person 15 L/s per person
contemporaries
Early US Codes 1925 30 CFM per person 15 L/s per person Same as above
Odor control, outdoor air as a fraction of
Yaglou 1936 15 CFM per person 7.5 L/s per person
total air

ASA 1946 15 CFM per person 7.5 L/s per person Based on Yahlou and contemporaries

ASHRAE 1975 15 CFM per person 7.5 L/s per person Same as above
ASHRAE 1981 10 CFM per person 5 L/s per person For non-smoking areas, reduced.

ASHRAE 1989 15 CFM per person 7.5 L/s per person Based on Fanger, W. Cain, and Janssen
Occupant Based Ventilation Rates,
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004
IP Units SI Units Category Examples
Spaces where ventilation requirements are
Storage Rooms,
0 cfm/person 0 L/s/person primarily associated with building elements, not
Warehouses
occupants.
Spaces occupied by adults, engaged in low
5 cfm/person 2.5 L/s/person Office space
levels of activity
Spaces where occupants are engaged in higher
7.5 cfm/person 3.5 L/s/person levels of activity, but not strenuous, or activities Retail spaces, lobbies
generating more contaminants
Spaces where occupants are engaged in more
10 cfm/person 5 L/s/person strenuous activity, but not exercise, or activities Classrooms, school settings
generating more contaminants
Spaces where occupants are engaged in
Dance floors, exercise
20 cfm/person 10 L/s/person exercise, or activities generating many
rooms
contaminants
Area-based ventilation rates,
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004
IP Units SI Units Category Examples
Spaces where space contamination is
0.06 cfm/ft2 0.30 L/s/m2 Conference rooms, lobbies
normal, or similar to an office environment

Spaces where space contamination is

0.12 cfm/ft2 0.60 L/s/m2 significantly higher than an office Classrooms, museums
environment

Spaces where space contamination is even

0.18 cfm/ft2 0.90 L/s/m2 Laboratories, art classrooms
higher than the previous category

Specific spaces in sports or entertainment

0.30 cfm/ft2 1.5 L/s/m2 Sports, entertainment
where contaminants are released

Reserved for indoor swimming areas, where

0.48 cfm/ft2 2.4 L/s/m2 Indoor swimming areas
chemical concentrations are high
CIBSE Guide B2 (2001) Recommended
outdoor air supply rates for
sedentary occupants
Outdoor Air Supply Rate(liters per Level of Smoking (environmental
person/s ) tobacco smoke exposure)

8 No smoking

16 Some smoking

24 Heavy smoking

36 Very heavy smoking

Efficiency of Ventilation system
Ratio of concentration of pollutants in extracted air (Ce) and the
concentration in the breathing zone (Cb)
 Ev = Ce/Cb
Depends on air distribution and source locations in the given space
Ev = 1: air and the contaminants are mixed completely
Ev > 1: the quality of air in the breathing zone is better than that of
extracted air and the desired quality of air can be attained with lower
rates of ventilation
Ev < 1: greater rates of ventilation will be needed and the quality of
air in the breathing zone is inferior to the quality of extracted air
Household SMOKE Pollution
Household SMOKE Pollution
Wood
Dung
Agricultural residues
Charcoal
Coal
Household SMOKE Pollution
3 billion people rely on solid fuels
Solid fuels comprise 10--15% of the total fuels used worldwide
Cooking and heating increases levels of indoor air pollution
Most concern: particulate matter and carbon monoxide
Women and children heavily exposed
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Causes
The three causes of Smoke
100
83
Africa

80
77
82
South East Asia
66
60 61
Western Pacific
53
World 46
48 41
40

Eastern Mediterranean
35
27

Americas
20

22
14
Europe 7
0

1980 1990 2000 2010

year

Bonjour et al., 2012

 World Population Using Solid Fuels

8000
7000
6000
Million Peope

5000
World Pop
4000
Solid Fuel Users
3000
2000 ~40% of the world
1000
~2.8 billion people
More than any time
0 in human history
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 00 05 10
19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Causes
Woodsmoke
Woodsmoke is natural – how can it hurt you?

Reason: the combustion efficiency is far less than 100%

Household SMOKE Pollution
• Pollutants
Typical Health-based Wood: 1.0 kg
Per Hour Typical Indoor
Standards
in 15 ACH Concentrations
40 m3 kitchen

Carbon Monoxide: Particles Benzene 1,3-Butadiene Formaldehyde

150 mg/m3 3.3 mg/m3 0.8 mg/m3 0.15 mg/m3 0.7 mg/m3

10 mg/m3 0.1 mg/m3 0.002 mg/m3 0.0003 mg/m3 0.1 mg/m3

Best single indicator IARC Group 1 Carcinogens

Household SMOKE Pollution
• Pollutants
Energy flows in a well-operating traditional wood-fired cookstove

Wood: 1 kg
15.3 MJ
Traditional Stove
15% moisture

Into Pot In PIC Waste Heat

2.8 MJ 1.2 MJ 11.3 MJ
18% 8% 74%

Source:
PIC = products of incomplete combustion = CO, HC, C, etc. Smith,et al.,2000
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Pollutants
Toxic Pollutants in Biomass Fuel Smoke from Simple (poor) Combustion
• Particulate matters, CO, NO2
• Hydrocarbons
• 25+ saturated hydrocarbons such as n-hexane
• 40+ unsaturated hydrocarbons such as 1,3
butadiene
• 28+ mono-aromatics such as benzene & styrene
• 20+ polycyclic aromatics such as benzo()pyrene

Source: Naeher et al,

J Inhal Tox, 2007
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Pollutants
Toxic Pollutants in Biomass Fuel Smoke from Simple (poor) Combustion
• Oxygenated organics
• 20+ aldehydes including formaldehyde & acrolein
• 25+ alcohols and acids such as methanol
• 33+ phenols such as catechol & cresol
• Many quinones such as hydroquinone
• Semi-quinone-type and other radicals
• Chlorinated organics such as methylene chloride and
dioxin
Source: Naeher et al,
J Inhal Tox, 2007
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Effects
COPD
ALRI/ Diseases for which we have
Pneumonia epidemiological studies Lung cancer
(coal)

These three diseases were included in the 2004 Comparative Risk Assessment
Managed and published by WHO
First ever comprehensive risk assessment with consistent rules of evidence
and common databases
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Effects COPD
ALRI/ Diseases for which we have
Pneumonia epidemiological studies Lung cancer
(coal)
Lung cancer
Low birth (biomass)
weight
Blindness
(cataracts, opacity)

Heart disease
Stillbirth Blood pressure
ST-segment

These additional diseases were included in the

2010 Comparative Risk Assessment
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Method of INTERVENTIONS
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Method of INTERVENTIONS
Prevention of exposure to CO

 Keep fuel-burning appliances in good working

condition
 Check heating systems, chimneys and vents
regularly
 Never burn charcoal indoors
 Never leave a car running in a closed garage
 Consider CO detectors
Household SMOKE Pollution
• Best ALTERNATIVE : Switch to electric
THANK YOU
 Wishing you a
happy new year