TY - GEN
T1 - Associating different indoor air contaminant levels with various ventilation systems in K-12 classrooms
AU - Lau, Josephine
AU - Liu, Yu Wen
AU - Johnson, Kelly
N1 - Funding Information:
The project was financed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [Grant Number: R835633]. The authors also thank the school districts, schools, teachers, administrative staff, custodians, and student workers on data collection, as they made this study possible
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate: Creative and Smart Solutions for Better Built Environments, Indoor Air 2020. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - In this study, the research team sampled air for different contaminants in 220 classrooms. Contaminants measured included coarse particles with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 μm (PM coarse), particles with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5), formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The data demonstrated that the levels of each contaminant fluctuated seasonally. There were three types of ventilation systems used in these classrooms: (1) centralized systems with variable air volume (VAV) air handling units (AHU); (2) single-zone heat pumps; and (3) unit ventilators. Classrooms equipped with unit ventilators were associated with significantly higher concentrations of PM coarse in all three seasons. For classrooms with centralized systems, PM 2.5 concentrations were significantly higher in the spring. However, there was no statistical difference in formaldehyde and TVOC levels. These results are beneficial for future study and design considerations to improve IAQ in educational environments.
AB - In this study, the research team sampled air for different contaminants in 220 classrooms. Contaminants measured included coarse particles with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 μm (PM coarse), particles with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5), formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The data demonstrated that the levels of each contaminant fluctuated seasonally. There were three types of ventilation systems used in these classrooms: (1) centralized systems with variable air volume (VAV) air handling units (AHU); (2) single-zone heat pumps; and (3) unit ventilators. Classrooms equipped with unit ventilators were associated with significantly higher concentrations of PM coarse in all three seasons. For classrooms with centralized systems, PM 2.5 concentrations were significantly higher in the spring. However, there was no statistical difference in formaldehyde and TVOC levels. These results are beneficial for future study and design considerations to improve IAQ in educational environments.
KW - Indoor air quality
KW - K-12 school environment
KW - Seasonal variation
KW - Ventilation systems
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85101641727
T3 - 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate: Creative and Smart Solutions for Better Built Environments, Indoor Air 2020
BT - 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate
PB - International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate
T2 - 16th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate: Creative and Smart Solutions for Better Built Environments, Indoor Air 2020
Y2 - 1 November 2020
ER -