Abstract
Recent construction trends on college campuses have demonstrated a shift to designing buildings with features focused on sustainability. However, few studies have investigated indoor air quality in institutions of higher education, particularly in sustainably designed buildings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of building and occupancy on indoor air quality within and between higher education buildings. We measured particulate matter, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in LEED certified, retrofitted, and conventional building types on a college campus. Three size fractions of particulate matter were measured in each building. We conducted multi-zonal, 48-h measurements when the buildings were occupied and unoccupied. Outdoor particulate matter was significantly higher (PM2.5 = 4.76, PM4 = 17.1, and PM100 = 21.6 µg/m3) than in classrooms (PM2.5 = 1.7, PM4 = 4.2, and PM100 = 6.7 µg/m3) and common areas (PM2.5 = 1.3, PM4 = 4.2, and PM100 = 4.8 µg/m3; all p < 0.001). Additionally, concentrations of carbon dioxide and particulate matter were significantly higher (p < 0.05) during occupied sampling. The results suggest that occupancy status and building zone are major predictors of indoor air quality in campus buildings, which can, in turn, increase the concentration of contaminants, potentially impacting occupant health and performance. More research is warranted to reveal building features and human behaviors contributing to indoor exposures.
Highlights
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Human Activity Pattern Survey estimate that the average American spends approximately 90% of their time indoors [1,2,3]
Occupants of indoor environments, including homes, workplaces and schools are exposed to a mixture of pollutants with known health effects, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [4,5], particulate matter (PM) [6,7,8,9,10,11,12], nitrogen dioxide [13], allergens and other biological exposures [14,15]
Because of the paucity of research on this indoor air quality (IAQ) topic, this study provides valuable insight for future studies and attendant a priori determinations despite low study power
Summary
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Human Activity Pattern Survey estimate that the average American spends approximately 90% of their time indoors [1,2,3]. Occupants of indoor environments, including homes, workplaces and schools are exposed to a mixture of pollutants with known health effects, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [4,5], particulate matter (PM) [6,7,8,9,10,11,12], nitrogen dioxide [13], allergens and other biological exposures [14,15]. The contribution and concentration of these pollutants are influenced by various sources, including outdoor air, occupant behavior, building materials, building practices and operations (e.g., air exchange rates) [16].
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