Baseline indoor air quality measurements collected from 136 metropolitan New York region commercial office buildings between 1997-1999.

Abstract

Between January 1997 and December 1999, 648 surveys were performed in 136 commercial office buildings in the metropolitan New York region as part of an ongoing proactive indoor environmental quality (IEQ) program. Sampling was performed on a spot basis in "nonproblem" buildings, during normal business hours, either quarterly or semiannually. Carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were among the various physical and gaseous parameters sampled for. More than 15,000 data points were collected, and the results were analyzed to determine the mean, median, mode, and standard deviation for each of those parameters. The data was then compared to various standards and/or guidelines applicable to the indoor environment. The results indicated that 98% of the CO2 readings were below 1000 ppm, and 99.9% of the CO readings were below 10 ppm. However, for TVOCs, nearly 88% of the readings exceeded the proposed European guideline value of 0.3 mg/m3. Ultimately, these results can be used to compare both baseline and periodic readings collected in future studies, and to help determine if potential problems exist within a building.