Modeling of indoor air particles with resuspension for an occupied commercial building

Abstract

As people spend most of their time indoors, identifying pollutant concentration in indoor air is important for examination of human exposure. Resuspension via human activity is known as a significant source of particulate matter in indoor air. In this study, a model was developed to predict concentration of indoor particles in an occupied commercial building. The model considers resuspension from human activity and number of people in each targeted area. A materials balance method was used to calculate the concentration for each particle size bin. Population in each room was counted from entry and exit data of employees. Optical particle counters measured particle concentration in modeled area. Results from the model simulation were compared with measured concentrations and showed good agreement.