Using a Network of Low-Cost Sensors to Characterize Seasonal, Building, and Occupancy Patterns in Indoor Air Quality Across a University Campus
SABRINA WESTGATE, Nga Lee Ng,
Georgia Institute of Technology Abstract Number: 149
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
AbstractAlthough we spend the majority of our time indoors, the wide array of distinct indoor environments makes it difficult to understand indoor air quality (IAQ) in an individual indoor space. Considering that IAQ plays a significant role in cognition performance and learning, it is particularly important to quantify and evaluate IAQ in classrooms. To assess IAQ in a university setting, low-cost sensors (QuantAQ MODULAIR and MODULAIR-PM) with the capability to detect particulate matter (PM
1, PM
2.5, PM
10), CO
2, CO, NO
x, O
3, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure were installed across the Georgia Institute of Technology campus beginning in Fall 2020. While previous studies have examined IAQ trends in classrooms, to our knowledge this is the first study to do so for both an extended period of time (>1 year) and among such a large number of buildings (>20) in the same university and geographic location. In this study, monitoring the IAQ in multiple buildings on one campus provided a valuable opportunity to investigate the most important parameters that impact IAQ of various rooms and buildings. To characterize IAQ, PM concentration changes during room occupancy, room ventilation rate, and indoor/outdoor PM ratios were quantified. Receptor modelling on the sensor data was also explored to identify and compare indoor air pollutant sources. While analyzing the indoor air data, principal component analysis was performed to identify the impact and relative contribution of factors including room size, room materials, room location, room ventilation type, building age, and occupant activities upon IAQ trends were considered. Our results indicate that seasonality, ventilation type, and occupant activities play a large role in influencing IAQ patterns. Moreover, a case study involving the addition of portable air cleaners to a subset of the rooms highlighted the importance of occupant behavior on IAQ patterns and pollution mitigation strategies.