AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Airborne Particulate Matter Exposure in Green Multi-family Buildings
Allison Patton, Leonardo Calderón, Youyou Xiong, Zuocheng Wang, Jennifer Senick, MaryAnn Sorensen-Allacci, Deborah Plotnik, Richard Wener, Clinton J. Andrews, Uta Krogmann, GEDIMINAS MAINELIS, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Abstract Number: 482 Working Group: Health Related Aerosols
Abstract Limited data exist on air quality in residential green buildings, which are increasing in prevalence and may trap particulate matter (PM) indoors due to reduced ventilation. Since Americans spend most of their time in homes, residential exposures may substantially contribute to airborne PM exposure. We evaluated PM exposure in two multi-family high-rise green buildings in the northeastern United States: an Energy Star building with natural ventilation (E) and a LEED platinum building with mechanical ventilation of filtered outdoor air (L). Our objectives were to (1) measure PM longitudinally in apartments in these buildings; (2) compare indoor/outdoor PM concentrations and their ratios (I/O), taking occupant behavior into account; and (3) summarize evidence for an effect of green building designs on indoor PM. We measured PM (DustTrak DRX, TSI Inc., Shoreview, MN) and administered a questionnaire between September 2011 and September 2013. Using these data, we evaluated the effects of ventilation and smoking on PM concentrations and I/O. We compared our observations with data from studies in green and conventional buildings using meta-analysis and summary statistics. Median PMTOTAL was higher in building E (56 micrograms/m$^3) than in building L (37 micrograms/m$^3); I/O was higher in building E (1.3-2.0) than in building L (0.5-0.8) for all particle size fractions. The differences could be explained by different ventilation systems, but not by outdoor concentrations, which were higher near building E. I/O ratio of PM in both buildings increased with I/O ratio of temperature, particularly in apartments with smokers. While the literature showed similar or slightly lower residential PM2.5 concentrations in green buildings relative to conventional buildings, PM2.5 in our study and others varied both within and between green buildings. Our data show that ventilation systems and occupant behaviors (e.g., smoking and cleaning practices) are important factors affecting exposure to PM in residential green buildings.