Perceived air quality and satisfaction during implementation of an automated indoor air quality monitoring and control system

Abstract

Cooking and cleaning are among the largest sources of home pollutant emissions. To reduce these emissions, we developed an automated indoor air quality (IAQ) control intervention that operated based on real-time sensor readings of particulate matter (PM2.5) and evaluated the perceptual differences between this intervention and a baseline condition. We employed a 14-participant crossover study design in a one-bedroom apartment module. Participants experienced one of two conditions: (1) Advanced Control–automated IAQ interventions including a stove hood, two portable air cleaners, and a bathroom exhaust powered on/off based on predefined PM2.5 thresholds measured by environmental sensors; and (2) Standard Control–participants controlling IAQ interventions (e.g., stove hood) manually. Each condition lasted two weeks. Participants followed standardized cooking and cleaning protocols and filled out surveys assessing psychosocial and perceptual outcomes. Observations indicated that weekly IAQ satisfaction, perception, and preferences were similar between the two conditions—despite lower PM2.5 concentrations during cooking and cleaning for the Advanced Control versus Standard Control Condition. When pairing IAQ complaints with PM2.5 concentrations during cooking, we observed participants made complaints when PM2.5 concentrations >∼80 μg/m3 but few complaints when <∼60 μg/m3. Lower PM2.5 concentrations were observed for the Advanced Control versus Standard Control Condition during cleaning, but these lower concentrations did not appear perceivable by participants due to far lower PM2.5 concentrations during cleaning overall. Our observations suggest a connection between PM2.5 concentration and IAQ complaints made by participants, thereby providing possible thresholds for perceivable IAQ changes.