Abstract View
Understanding Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality Implications of 100% Fresh (Ambient) Air Ventilation System
ALVARADO-VELEZ DANIEL, Sabrina Westgate, Eben Cross, David Hagan, Nga Lee Ng, Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract Number: 397
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract
Studies have shown that indoor air quality (IAQ) is important to consider at the building design stage due to its impact on human health and work productivity. Some symptoms of poor IAQ include shortness of breath, headaches, and irritation of the respiratory system. Viruses and bacteria can also spread through airborne particulate matter (PM) which is of special concern at the time of this study due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many buildings utilize ambient air for ventilation, and thus the quality of indoor air is dependent on the quality of the ambient air. Here, we utilize paired QuantAQ MODULAIR and MODULAIR-PM sensors to measure the mass concentration of particulate matter (PM) of different sizes (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and the mixing ratio of CO2, CO, NO, NO2, and O3 inside and outside a building on Georgia Tech’s campus. The building evaluated uses 100% fresh (ambient) air in ventilation. One pair of sensors was located inside a work office and another pair was located on the roof of the building near the air inlet of the dedicated outdoor air system. Each sensor makes measurements at one-minute intervals. Preliminary results indicate the indoor PM mass concentration in general follows a similar trend to the outdoor concentration. However, the relationships between indoor and outdoor gas species appear to be highly variable. Specific parameters (e.g., time of the day, human activities, etc.) influencing indoor/outdoor gas and particle species are discussed. Results from this study will help elucidate the effects of outdoor air quality on IAQ and could be used to determine steps needed to improve IAQ.