Improving a building’s indoor environment quality

Abstract

The quality of indoor air is directly related to the amount of Ventilation in a building. A person’s health, comfort and well-being can be significantly affected by the quality of the indoor air. Building ventilation systems are used to introduce fresh air from outdoors into the building while exhausting “old” air. The amount of ventilation in a building affects the indoor air quality by introducing clean outside air into the building. The heating or cooling system will have to work harder to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. In order to mitigate the effects of ventilation on the heating and cooling system, most mechanical heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems are designed to re-circulate a significant portion of the indoor conditioned air. The recirculation of old air has a detrimental effect on the indoor air quality and should be monitored to verify that the air still meets the minimum standards for building occupancy and use. Mechanical Ventilation System Active (mechanical) ventilation systems use fans to draw fresh outside air into the building. Mechanical ventilation systems can provide consistent air flow to interior spaces and can be designed to maximize the indoor environment quality by controlling factors such as air speed, air quality, temperature and humidity. High efficiency filter systems can improve indoor air quality when they are integrated into building’s HVAC system.  Passive Ventilation System  Cross-Ventilation System  Stack Ventilation  Hybrid Integrated Ventilation Systems Methods of improving indoor air quality during Construction Construction activities can produce a significant amount of air pollution that can pose a health threat to construction workers and future building occupants. There are many strategies to avoid indoor air quality problems during construction and to mitigate long term effects. Most of the methods for controlling indoor air quality during construction must be planned and implemented before construction begins. Construction Air Quality Plan An indoor air quality plan should be prepared an implemented before construction of the building. The plan should address the following factors.  Methods for controlling the pollutant source  Mitigation of indoor air contaminant dispersion  Education for employees and subcontractors regarding the method of pollution control  Ways to verify implementation of the plan Improving air Quality during Construction Proper cleanup and material storage during and after construction can significantly reduce the amount of air pollution generated by construction activities. Some good procedures to follow include;  Protecting porous materials from air contaminants before and after installation  Using a vacuum with high-efficiency filter to clean up debris  Using wetting agents to control dust