Real-time monitoring of pollutants in occupied indoor environments: A pilot study of a hospital in China

Abstract

Indoor air pollution has severe impacts on human health. Few studies have focused on indoor air quality (IAQ), especially air pollution in the hospital, which is sensitive due to its high mobility and multiple carriers. The traditional experiments usually develop in artificial environments, which lack authenticity with limited consideration for indoor occupancy than that in real environments. This study adopts field investigation, from a data-driven perspective aimed to evaluate pollutants in occupied indoor environments, including carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in a hospital in China, emphasising their dynamic variation patterns and characteristics under natural ventilation. The results indicated that (1) the concentrations of indoor pollution in areas with high population densities were typically higher than those in outdoor and low-occupancy-level working areas; (2) indoor air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, and CO2, were significantly influenced by indoor activities under the same outdoor conditions; (3) TVOCs were different from the other pollutants and exhibited a lower periodicity; that is, the changes in TVOCs concentrations were more likely to be affected by non-fixed interference sources. In the end, suggestions were made for the improvement and management of the hospital's IAQ according to the research results. This study as a comprehensive analysis may provide operational guidelines for managing and improving indoor environments in hospitals in China.