Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Evaluation of Higher Education Learning Environments

Updata:01-01-1970

Source:
By:Supreet Lama;Changfeng Fu;Angela Lee

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jsbct.v4i1.4042

Abstract:
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), particularly in educational facilities, is gaining
considerable interest and is a synonymous indicator towards evaluating
human comfort. Factors such as CO2 concentration, temperature, and
humidity play crucial parts in determining an acceptable level of IAQ.
Many studies have also demonstrated that the indoor air quality of
classrooms affects students’ concentration and performance. Today with
the threat of a global pandemic, the demand of clean & fresh indoor air
quality in education buildings is extremely intensive. This study focuses
on investigating IAQ situations and changes in different typical functional
spaces of a higher education building in the UK. CO2, temperature, and
humidity data in various learning environment were monitored via data
loggers during the winter. Associated with data monitoring, a set of
questionnaires surveys were carried out to evaluate the user’s experience.
The results of this study show that temperature and CO2 concentration
in the classrooms was constantly higher than the government guidance
on a daily basis. The analysis also shows that temperature and humidity
increased with CO2 levels, but at a much lower rate. This study has
revealed poor and concerning IAQ in higher education buildings in the UK,
particularly in larger rooms with high occupancy. Along with the findings,
this paper also identifies possible impact or factors and proposes solutions
to overcome these issues.
References:

[1] Allen, J., MacNaughton, P., Satish, U., Santanam, S., Vallarino, J., Spengler, J., 2016. Associations of cognitive function scores with carbon dioxide, ventilation, and volatile organic compound exposures in office workers: a controlled exposure study of Green and conventional office environments, Environmental Health Perspective. 124(6), 805-812. [2] Annesi-Maesano, I., Baiz, N., Banerjee, S., Rudnai, P., Rive, S., 2013. Indoor Air Quality and Sources in Schools and Related Health Effects, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, (16)8, 491-550. [3] Asanti, K., Voden, L. & Majeed, A., 2021. Healthier schools during the COVID-19 pandemic:ventilation , testing and vaccination. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 0(0), 1-4. [4] Azuma, K., Yanagi, U., Kagi, N., Kim, H., Ogata, M & Hayashi, M., 2020. Environmental factors involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission: effect and role of indoor environmental quality in the strategy for COVID-19 infection control. Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine. 25(1), 1-16. [5] Bakó-Biró, Z., Clements-Croome, D.J., Kochhar, N., Awbi, H.B. & Williams, M.J., 2012. Ventilation rates in schools and pupils’ performance. Building and Environment, 48, 215- 223. [6] CIBSE, 2015. CIBSE Guide A: Environmental Design. 8th ed. CIBSE: London. [7] Department for Education, 2016. Guidelines in ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools: Building Bulletin 101. [8] Downing, C. C. & Bayer, C. W., 1993. Classroom indoor air quality versus ventilation rate, ASHARE Trans, 99(2), 1099-1103. [9] Fisk, W. J., Lei-Gomez, Q. & Mendell, M. J., 2007. Meta-analyses of the associations of respiratory health effects with dampness and mold in homes. Indoor Air, 17, 284-296. [10] Fransson, N., Västfjäll, D. & Skoog, J., 2007. In search of the comfortable indoor environment: A comparison of the utility of objective and subjective indicators of indoor comfort. Building and Environment, 42(5), 1886-1890. [11] Frontczak, M. & Wargocki, P., 2011. Literature survey on how different factors influence human comfort in indoor environments. Building and Environment, 46 (4), 922-937. [12] Griffiths, M. & Eftekhari, M., 2008. Control of CO2 in a naturally ventilated classroom. Energy and Buildings, 40(4), 556-560. [13] Haddad, S., Synnefa, A., Marcos, M. A. P., Paolini, R., Delrue, S., Prasad, D. & Santamouris, M. On the potential of demand-controlled ventilation system to enhance indoor air quality and thermal condition in Australian school classrooms. Energy and Buildings, 238. [14] Korsavi, S; Montazami, A; Mumovic, D, 2020. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in naturally-ventilated primary schools in the UK: Occupant-related factors. Building and Environment, Volume 180. [15] Hens, H., 2011. Applied Building Physics: Boundary conditions, building performance and material properties. 1st ed, Berlin: Ernst & Sohn. [16] Hoskins, J. A., 2003. Health effects due to indoor air pollution, Indoor and Built Environment, 12(6), 427-433. [17] HSE, 1999. Health and safety law: What you should know. Leaflet, ISBN 0 7176 1702 5. [18] HSE, 2013. Workplace health, safety and welfare regulation 1992. 2nd ed, London: HSE Books. [19] Jacobson, T.A., Kler, J.S., Hernke, M.T., Braun, R.K., Meyer, K.C., Funk W.E., 2019. Direct human health risks of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nature Sustainability. 2(8), 691-701. [20] Jiang, J., Wang, D., Liu, Y., Di, Y., Liu, J., 2021. A holistic approach to the evaluation of the indoor temperature based on thermal comfort and learning performance. Building and Environment. 196. [21] Klepeis, N.E., Nelson, W.C., Ott, W.R., Robinson, J.P., Tsang, A.M., Switzer, P., Behar, J.V., Hern, S.C., Engelmann, W.H., 2001. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology. 11, 231-252. [22] Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., Rubel, F., 2006. World map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift. 15(3), 259-263. [23] Kukadia, V., Upton, S., 2019. Ensuring good indoor air quality in buildings. BRE Trust: Watford. [24] Kulshreshtha, P., Khare, M., Seetharaman, P., 2008. Indoor air quality assessment in and around urban slums of Delhi city, India. Indoor Air. 18(6), 488-498. [25] Marques, G., Ferreira, C.R., Pitarma, R., 2019. Indoor air quality assessment using a CO2 monitoring system based on internet of things. Journal of Medical Systems. 43(3), 1-10. [26] McMullan, R., 2018. Environmental science in building. 8Th ed, Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke. [27] Megahed, N.A., Ghoneim, E.M., 2021. Indoor air quality: Rethinking rules of building design strategies in post-pandemic architecture. Environmental Research. 193, 1-9. [28] MENDELL, M.J., 2007. Indoor residential chemical emissions as risk factors for respiratory and allergic effects in children: a review. Indoor Air. 17, 259-277. [29] Moore, P., 2016. The positive impact of human CO2 emissions on the survival of life on earth. 1st ed, FCPP: Winnipeg. [30] Nicol, F., Humphreys, M., Roaf, S., 2012. Adaptive thermal comfort: Principles and practice. 1st ed. Routledge: Oxon. [31] Satish U., Mendell M.J., Shekhar, K., Hotchi, T., Sullivan, D., Streufert, S., Fisk, W.J., 2012. Is CO2 an Indoor pollutant? Direct effects of low-to-moderate CO2 concentrations on human decision-making performance, Environmental Health Perspectives. 120(12), 1671-1677. [32] Shrestha, M., Rijal, H.B., Kayo G., Shukuya M., March 2021. A field investigation on adaptive thermal comfort in school buildings in the temperate climatic region of Nepal, Building and Environment. Volume 190. [33] Wang, Z., Ning, H., Zang, X., Ji, Y., 2016. Human thermal adaptation based on university students in China’s severe cold area. Science and Technology for the Built Environment. 23(3), 413-420. [34] Wargocki, P., Wyon, D., 2007. The effects of moderately raised classroom temperatures and classroom ventilation rate on the performance of schoolwork by children. HVAC&R Research. 13(2), 193 -220. [35] Weschler, C., 2009. Changes in indoor pollutants since the 1950s. Atmospheric Environment. 43, 153-169. [36] WHO, 2010. The right to healthy indoor air. Bilthoven, The Netherlands, WHO regional Office for Europe. [37] Wolkoff, P., 2018. Indoor air humidity, air quality, and health – An overview. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 221(3), 376-390.

Tags: