The 40 m3 Innovative experimental Room for INdoor Air studies (IRINA): Development and validations

Abstract

Over the last 30years, several experimental chambers were developed and implemented for indoor air studies. Yet, they were not all representative of real indoor air conditions. Either they did not have sufficient volumes or they were hindered by difficulties to control experimental conditions and air exchange rates. In this context, a 40m3 Innovative experimental Room for Indoor Air studies (IRINA) has been developed and validated at Mines Douai (Atmospheric Sciences et Environmental Engineering department (SAGE)) to overcome these drawbacks and above all to perform reproducible indoor air studies avoiding any possible experimental biases. IRINA inner walls are covered with aluminum foils. The room is operated in a closed mode and is equipped with a VOC injection system that relies on the heated and pressurized injection of vaporized VOC. IRINA is also equipped with analytical instruments that allow the analysis of both gas (online and offline measurements) and particle phases. IRINA validation evidenced that: (i) the air exchange rate of the room is well controlled over an one year timespan; (ii) both gaseous and particulate background levels in IRINA remain lower than typical indoor air conditions; (iii) fast homogenization of injected VOC concentrations is reached in the room; (iv) adsorption phenomena on IRINA walls are limited; and (v) there is no VOC matrix impact regarding individual VOC decays. The modelling of VOC natural decay in IRINA based on the new INCA-Indoor model showed that the VOC removal in IRINA is mainly due to the air exchange rate.