INDOOR AIR POLLUTION in

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Saumya Srivastava
19M804
Indoor Air Pollution
• It refers to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of air in the indoor
environment within a residential, institutional or commercial building.
• It is estimated that the urban population spends a majority of their time up to 90 % in
indoor environments and that a large proportion of the time awake is spent in the work
place.
• Indoor air pollution can begin within the building or be drawn in from outdoors.
• In urban areas, exposure to indoor air pollution has increased due to a variety of reasons,
including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation, the use
of synthetic materials for building and furnishing and the use of chemical products,
pesticides, and household care products.
• Other than nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead, there are a number of other
pollutants that affect the air quality in an enclosed space.
Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

• Inadequate ventilation - increases indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor
air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the
home.
• The construction of more tightly sealed buildings.
• High temperature and humidity levels - Temperatures which are too high sometimes make
it seem “stuffy”. If the humidity in the office is too low, it can result in allergy-like symptoms
such as dry, scratchy throat and eyes and general discomfort. Increases concentrations of some
pollutants.
• Inadequate Amount of Fresh Air: An inadequate amount of outdoor fresh air introduced
into the building can lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide.
• Modern offices usually have several sorts of electronic equipment and other dominant heat
sources indoors.
• The use of cleaning products and pesticides in housekeeping.
• Building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation,
wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products
• Cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides,
and outdoor air pollution(nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead).
Sources of Indoor Air Pollution in a Typical Office Building
Volatile Organic Compounds
Sources of VOCs
Household products, including:
• paints, paint strippers and other solvents
• wood preservatives
• aerosol sprays
• cleansers and disinfectants
• moth repellents and air fresheners
• stored fuels and automotive products
• hobby supplies
• dry-cleaned clothing
• pesticide
Other products, including:
• building materials and furnishings
• office equipment such as copiers and
printers, correction fluids and carbon copy
paper.
• graphics and craft materials including glues
and adhesives, permanent markers and
photographic solutions.
Health Effects
• Health effects may include:
• Eye, nose and throat irritation
• Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea
• Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous
system
• cause cancer in humans and animals.
Key signs or symptoms associated with
exposure to VOCs include:
• conjunctival irritation
• nose and throat discomfort
• headache
• allergic skin reaction
• dyspnea
• declines in serum cholinesterase levels
• nausea
• emesis
• epistaxis
• fatigue
• dizziness
Benzene

Sources Health Effects

• Outdoor air contains low levels of benzene • harmful effects on the bone marrow and can
from gas stations, motor vehicle exhaust, cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading
and industrial emissions. to anaemia.
• glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents. • irregular menstrual periods in women
• air around hazardous waste sites • affects the developing foetus in pregnant
• leaks from underground storage can women
contaminate well water. • fertility in men
• People working in industries • low birth weights
• tobacco smoke. • delayed bone formation
• cause leukaemia
• cancer of the blood-forming organs.
Carbon Monoxide

Sources of CO include: Health Effects

• unvented kerosene and gas space heaters At low concentrations:
• leaking chimneys and furnaces • fatigue in healthy people
• back-drafting from furnaces, gas water • chest pain in people with heart disease
heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces At moderate concentrations:
• gas stoves • angina
• generators and other gasoline powered • impaired vision
equipment • reduced brain function
• automobile exhaust from attached garages At higher concentrations:
• tobacco smoke • impaired vision and coordination
• incomplete oxidation during combustion in • headaches
gas ranges, and unvented gas or kerosene • dizziness
heaters • confusion
• worn or poorly adjusted and maintained • nausea
combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) • flu-like symptoms that clear up after
• if the flue is improperly sized, blocked leaving home
or disconnected • fatal at very high concentrations
• if the flue is leaking
Formaldehyde

Sources: Health effects of formaldehyde

• Resins used in the manufacture of • Formaldehyde can cause irritation of the
composite wood products (i.e., skin, eyes, nose, and throat.
hardwood plywood, particleboard and • High levels of exposure may cause some
medium-density fiberboard); types of cancers.
• Building materials and insulation;
• Household products such as
glues, permanent press fabrics, paints and
coatings, lacquers and finishes, and paper
products;
• Preservatives used in some medicines,
cosmetics and other consumer products such
as dishwashing liquids and fabric softeners;
and
• Fertilizers and pesticides.
It is a byproduct of combustion and certain
other natural processes, and so is also found in:
• Emissions from un-vented, fuel burning
appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space
heaters; and
• Cigarette smoke.
The Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
The quality of air inside buildings as represented by concentrations of pollutants and thermal
(Temperature and Relative Humidity) conditions that affect the health, comfort, and performance
of occupants.

As per National Building Code 2005

Application Air Change

per Hour
Banks/building societies 4-8
Conference rooms 8-12
Offices 6-10
Photo and X-ray darkroom 10-15
Toilets 6-10
Welding shops 15-30
ASHRAE Definition of Acceptable IAQ
“Air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by
cognizant authorities and with which a substantial majority (80% or more) of the people exposed
do not express dissatisfaction.”

Fundamentals of good indoor air quality according to ASHRAE

• Acceptable indoor air quality is typically not achieved by addressing any one specific
building product, system, or procedure.
• Rather, it is the result of the following fundamental elements.
1. Contaminant source control
2. Proper ventilation
3. Humidity management
4. Adequate filtration
Indoor air quality of non-residential urban buildings in Delhi, India
Arindam Datta a, R. Suresh a, Akansha Gupta b, Damini Singh b, Priyanka Kulshrestha b

• The aim of the present study is to characterize IAQ in different office and academic buildings
located in densely build-up area of New Delhi, India.
• PM2.5, CO2 and VOCs were
measured simultaneously in the
indoor environment of different
types of buildings during the pre-
monsoon season.
• The study was conducted in two
commercial/official buildings :
O1(located near busy road in
Central, New Delhi) and O2(inside a
commercial complex in East Delhi)
• 8 h (9:00–18:00 h) monitoring of
PM2.5, VOC and CO2 was
conducted every day in each
building during the study period

Delhi district map showing location of sampling buildings

Results CO2, PM2.5 & VOC Concentration
inside buildings :
• The CO2 concentration in an occupied indoor
space indicates whether the optimal amount of
filtered outside air is being mixed with air that
has been circulating in the building.
• According to the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineer
Inc. (ASHRAE) method, the average CO2
concentrations inside O1 and O2 buildings
should not exceed 1090 and 1059 ppm.
• Each exhaled air contains about 100 times
higher CO2 than that in the inhaled.
• Ductless air conditioning system was installed at
the O1 building, whereas central air
conditioning system was installed at the O2
building.
• It has been studied that the ductless air
conditioning system reduces the overall
circulation of air in a building compared to that
of the ducted central air conditioning system
• Large number of computers, printers and
copier machines can be an important source Indoor concentration of CO2, PM2.5 and VOCs in
of VOCs in O1 and O2 buildings. different buildings during the study period.
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE INDOOR
AIR POLLUTION
Air Quality In Offices

• Published studies investigating the efficacy of air cleaning interventions to improve both
IAQ of offices and the health of employees is limited to installation of free-standing
electrostatic air cleaners as an effective means of breathing zone particle filtration.

• Analysis shows that, the monetized health benefits of filter installations outweighed the
operation costs, the net benefits were greatest for the highest efficiency filters.

• Modeling has also suggested that implementing a high efficiency filter can mitigate negative
effects of ventilation whilst higher ventilation rates can increase the efficacy of filtration.

• Results indicate that increasing ventilation rates alone is ineffective at reducing chronic
disease burdens in these commercial buildings and that alternative strategies such as
pollutant source control and the use of particle filtration, should receive greater priority.
Air Cleaners
Mechanical Filtration
• Mechanical filtration is a simple and extensively utilized technique to
substantially capture and retain particulate air pollutants.
• Performance depends on the type of filter (flat, pleated, HEPA), filter
media material and coatings, airflow through the system, size of particle
contaminant and filter age.
• The most commonly used HEPA(High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters
are over 95% efficient in removing particles of all sizes.
• Owing to particle saturation and associated pressure loss, filters must be
replaced to maintain removal efficiency, guard against sensory pollution
and new sources of contamination in the form of harmful microorganisms.
Electronic Air Filtration
• Electrostatic precipitators (ESP) are medium cost devices, generating ions
that attach to and electrically charge particulate pollutants as they pass
through the device. Once charged, the particles are deflected by an electric
field onto on a series of positive and negative charged cleanable plates.
• Advantages: 1. It is efficient at removing 90% particles 2. Results in slower
pressure loss than mechanical filters.
• Disadvantages: A high relative humidity can negatively affect removal
efficiency, plus they can generate hazardous charged particles and
unwanted oxidation byproducts.
Adsorption
• Adsorption is a high performance technique (> 90% removal efficiency) that removes
gaseous pollutants (VOCs, O3, NO2, SO2 and hydrogen sulphide) using an appropriate
adsorbent, such as activated carbon and hydrophobic zeolites.
• Disadvantages include a compromised efficiency at a high relative humidity, the need to
regularly replace the adsorbents to prevent waste pollutants re-entering the atmosphere and
the potential of airborne bacteria to thrive on carbon sorbents.

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation

• Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (GI) uses UV radiation from photoreactor lamps to destroy
bioaerosols such as airborne viruses, bacteria, dust mites, animal dander and mould (or such
contaminants growing on HVAC surfaces) through photolysis oxidation or UV photolysis .
• It can be configured within HVAC surfaces or
independently as a unit installed on the wall or
suspended from ceilings thereby disinfecting
infectious bioaerosols in upper environments, while
maintaining occupant safety below.
Photocatalytic Oxidation
• Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) promotes, at ambient temperatures, the destruction of many
organic compounds in a stepwise reaction into water and CO2 using UV light and a
semiconductor as the nano-catalyst.
• Devices employing this technique are cost effective, require little maintenance and can be
incorporated into new and existing HVAC systems.
• Drawbacks: Moderate performance and Short lifetime of the catalyst. The process can
generate by-products that (a) are toxic to human health and (b) can deactivate the active sites
of the catalyst.
Cold Plasma Or Cold Thermal Plasma
• Cold plasma or non-thermal plasma based cleaning techniques
utilize a high voltage electrical discharge to eliminate PM and
biological pollution through precipitation and oxidation.
• In addition, the production of free radicals and oxidant species
transform VOCs into CO2 and water.
• Efficiencies in eliminating bacterial and fungal species of over
95% and 85–98% respectively.
• Drawbacks that currently preclude the application of this
technology into commercial devices include poor energy
efficiency as well as the formation of O3, NOx, and other
hazardous organic by-products.
Microorganisms Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
J. Verdonck∗ , J.A.J. Vanoirbeeck, K. Poels, P.H.M. Hoet, L. Godderis

• There are three established strategies to reduce indoor air pollution, namely source control,
ventilation and mechanical air cleaners.
• The key element of the self-cleaning ecosystem is bioremediation, which is the use of living
(micro)organisms for the cleaning up of contaminated soil, water, sediment or air.
• Instead of applying conventional cleaning products in indoor spaces, microorganisms namely
Bacillus species are nebulized on surfaces, objects and in the indoor air.
• A crossover pilot study was carried out in an urban region in Flanders, Belgium and lasted 3
weeks
• The microorganisms were nebulized in one office building. One office of a neighbouring
office building was included as control.
• The indoor air quality was assessed by tracking particulate matter, carbon dioxide, aldehydes,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, temperature, relative humidity
and ventilation rate.
• The percentage decreases of acetaldehyde and particulate matter concentrations were
respectively up to 1.5 and 4 times larger in the offices equipped with a self-cleaning
ecosystem than in the control office.
Phytoremediation of VOCs from indoor air by ornamental potted plants: A pilot
study using a palm species under the controlled environment
Hakimeh Teiri, Hamidreza Pourzamani, Yaghoub Hajizadeh*
• Botanical bio-filtration of indoor formaldehyde was tested in this study.
• The potted Chamaedorea elegans plant–soil system examined in this study
showed high potential of removing formaldehyde from polluted air in a long
time exposure.
• Although, the areal part of the plant had substantial contribution in the
removal of formaldehyde, the influence of potted soil and roots was
considerable which can be attributed to the pollutant absorption and Chamaedorea elegans
metabolism by the microorganisms in the soils.
• The entire plant showed more removal in day time rather than night time and darkness.
• Examination of the plant morphology and physiology showed that Chamaedorea elegans can
perfectly tolerate to the formaldehyde exposure with a concentration less than 14.6 mg m-3,
whereas, long term exposure could not stop the plant's growth.
• Thus, it is evident from our results that, phytoremediation can be one of the most effective,
economically and environmental friendly indoor air purification methods.
Schematic dia of the experimental setup: (1)
air pump, (2) activated carbon column, (3)
formaldehyde solution (37%) vessel, (4)
humidifier vessel, (5) mixing vessel, (6) flow
meter, (7) gas sampling port, (8) test
chamber, (9) air mixing fan, (10) temperature
& humidity sensor, (11) sampling impingers,
(12) extraction
Phytoremediation of benzene vapors from indoor air by Schefflera arboricola and
Spathiphyllum wallisii plants
Iman Parseha , Hakimeh Teirib , Yaghoub Hajizadehc,∗ , Karim Ebrahimpourc

• The Schefflera sp. and Spathiphyllum sp., as ornamental plants, have a

good potential for benzene removal from indoor air.
• The main cause of benzene removal was the areal part of plants.
• According to the morphological results, benzene at the inlet concentration Schefflera arboricola
ranges of 3.6–29.5 μg/m3 has no toxic effect on the plant's growth.
• According to the results, no considerable difference in the removal efficiency
was observed under the two different EBRT(Empty Bed Residence Time),
instead, at lower EBRT a larger volume of the contaminated air was
treated.
• It can be deduced that these plants can be used as an inexpensive and
effective way of benzene removal from indoor air. Spathiphyllum wallisii

Schematic of the experimental setup: (1) air pump,

(2) activated carbon column, (3) Benzene solution
vessel,

(4) humidifier vessel, (5) mixing vessel, (6) flow

meter, (7) inlet gas sampling port, (8) test chamber,
(9) air mixing fan, (10) temperature & humidity
sensor, (11) ventilation.
An environment-friendly solution for indoor air purification by using renewable
photocatalysts in concrete
K.Nath, M.F.M.Zain, M.Jamil

• Photocatalysis as “the catalysis of a photochemical reaction

over a solid surface”.
• Photocatalysis can accelerate the natural oxidation process,
thereby promoting faster decomposition of pollutants,
preventing them from accumulating, and favouring their decay.
• LiNbO3(Lithium Niobate)can act as a photocatalyst to degrade
the toxic VOCs to safer compounds. LiNbO3, as a relatively
new material in concrete, is used in concrete as photocatalyst.
Photocatalytic degradation process
• Photocatalysts can be used to produce a self cleaning concrete surface with the ability to
remove or reduce pollution. Heavy rains remove dirt, such as lingering dust, on buildings
coatings with catalysts, increasing the efficiency of catalysts to reduce environmental
pollution and improving self cleaning performances a consequence.
• This study is useful for producing photocatalytic concrete blocks as significant agents for
indoor air purification.
• Given its large surface area and proximity to a major source of air pollution, photocatalytic
concrete may be used for a number of logical concepts that will offer building professionals a
unique opportunity to contribute to sustainable development goals.
• The continuous oxidizing action of photocatalytic concrete promotes clean buildings for the
lifetime of the structure.
A type of novel glass for indoor air cleaning under visible-light
Qiwen Jiang, Cong Ding, Yanhua Liu

• An abundant research indicates that photocatalytic technology is able to convert toxic air
pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into nontoxic carbon dioxide under
UV light irradiation.
• Among photocatalytic materials, nano titanium dioxides (nano-TiO2) is considered as the
most appropriate photocatalyst because of low cost and high oxidation power.
• Applying nano-TiO2 thin film to the decorative glass has potential applications in self-
cleaning, antifogging and reducing VOCs.
• Furthermore, high durability performance and transmittance were beneficial for the novel
glass in the purification of indoor air pollutants.
References

• https://iaq.ashrae.org
• https://www.epa.gov/environmental-topics/health-topics
• https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-08/documents/ciaq-webinar-muller.pdf
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.06.1064
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.11.058
• https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.coac.2016.02.003