Feasibility Study of an Express Assessment Protocol for the Indoor Air                 Quality of Air-conditioned Offices

Hui, P. S.; Wong, Ling Tim; Mui, Kwok Wai

doi:10.1177/1420326x06067866

Cited by 34 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…(30) TVOC levels in the office environment typically range from a few micrograms to a few milligrams per cubic meter. (31,32) More than 900 VOCs have been identified at detectable levels in indoor air. (31) The number of VOCs identified in one indoor air sample may be as high as 250, but normally the number varies from 20 to 150.…”

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confidence: 99%

Airborne Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds, Formaldehyde and Ammonia in Finnish Office Buildings with Suspected Indoor Air Problems

Salonen

Pasanen

Lappalainen

et al. 2009

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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A database of indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (n = 528), formaldehyde (n = 76), and ammonia (n = 47) in office environments was analyzed to suggest interpretation guidelines for chemical measurements in office buildings with suspected indoor air problems. Indoor air samples were collected for VOCs from 176 office buildings, 23 offices for formaldehyde, and 14 office buildings for ammonia in 2001-2006. Although the buildings had reported indoor air complaints, a walk-through inspection by indoor air specialists showed no exceptional sources of indoor air pollutants. The measurements of chemical pollutants did not indicate any clear reason for the complaints. The geometric mean concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) was 88 microg m(-3) in office rooms and 75 microg m(-3) in the open plan offices. The mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation significantly (p < 0.004) decreased the indoor air concentration of TVOC. The highest mean concentration and frequency distributions were determined for the individual VOCs. The most common VOCs found in > or = 84% of the indoor samples include toluene, xylene (p,m), 1-butanol, nonanal, and benzene. According to concentrations, the most abundant VOCs were 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, acetic acid, 1,2-propanediol, and toluene. The geometric mean concentration of formaldehyde and ammonia in the office buildings was 11 microg m(-3) (3-44 microg m(-3) and 14 microg m(-3) (1-49 microg m(-3), respectively. On the basis of statistical analyses, the guideline value indicating a usual concentration of the pollutant in office buildings is 70 microg m(-3) for TVOC, 7 microg m(-3) for most individual VOCs, 10 microg m(-3) for formaldehyde, and 12 microg m(-3) for ammonia. The guidance value suggested for TVOC is 250 microg m(-3), for formaldehyde 15 microg m(-3), and for ammonia 25 microg m(-3). If the guidance value is exceeded, this may indicate the existence of an exceptional source and the need for additional environmental investigations. The levels should not be used for the evaluation of health risks. The guideline values are applicable in a subarctic climate for modern, urban office buildings.

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confidence: 99%

Airborne Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds, Formaldehyde and Ammonia in Finnish Office Buildings with Suspected Indoor Air Problems

Salonen

Pasanen

Lappalainen

et al. 2009

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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“…[15][16] The sampling sites were randomly picked from all regions for airconditioned office development, ranging from open-plan offices and conference rooms to individual small offices. Their sizes ranged from 10 to 300 m 2 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epistemic evaluation of policy influence on workplace indoor air quality of Hong Kong in 1996—2005

Mui

Wong

Hui

et al. 2008

Building Services Engineering Research and Technology

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Long-term measurement results of indoor air quality (IAQ) over a general community can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures for IAQ improvement of premises. However, this approach requires considerable measurement efforts and thus the complete data sets are not available in many circumstances. This study proposes an epistemic approach in estimating the probable influences of an IAQ policy for Hong Kong offices, using the regional IAQ measurement databases results of IAQ in offices were collected and were used to quantify the IAQ improvement for Hong Kong offices. It is noted that IAQ dissatisfaction due to air pollutants predominated by indoor emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might need additional attentions for an effective IAQ improvement programme. Practical application: This study provides updated information on the forecasts of IAQ in air-conditioned offices of Hong Kong due to the influence of the IAQ policy implemented in 1997-1999. It is a useful source of reference for policymakers and decision makers in evaluating an indoor air pollution control policy for air-conditioned offices.

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“…Since it is too expensive to sample all air pollutants of the entire community, air sampling should be conducted in accordance with surveillance strategy. Surrogate indicators or 'representative' indoor air pollutants were proposed for some IAQ assessments instead (Ferguson et al 1995;Hui et al 2006;Mui et al 2006a;Wong et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of indoor air quality (IAQ) objectives on air-conditioned offices in Hong Kong

Hui

Mui

Wong

2007

Environ Monit Assess

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It is costly to sample all air pollutants of a general community. Air sampling should be conducted based on a practical assessment strategy and monitoring plan. In Hong Kong, the Environmental Protection Department (HKEPD) launched an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) certification scheme to grade workplace IAQ as 'Excellent' or 'Good' by measuring the levels of nine common indoor air pollutants, namely carbon dioxide (CO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), respirable suspended particulates (RSP), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), ozone (O(3)), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), radon (Rn), and airborne bacteria count (ABC). Although average office IAQ performance has been improved since the implementation of this certification scheme, there are still resource issues and technical difficulties. To streamline the assessment of office IAQ performance, this study proposes a simple index of IAQ benchmarks formulated in compliance with the HKEPD requirements. In particular, three of the nine listed common air pollutants were selected as the 'representatives' for the overall satisfactory IAQ. Together with the assessment results of 422 Hong Kong air-conditioned offices, the index was evaluated in terms of test sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. Proved to be feasible to describe the IAQ of some air-conditioned offices, this IAQ index would be a useful tool for policymakers, building owners and professionals to quantify IAQ performance in offices and to make decisions on resources and manpower management for efficient mitigation actions.

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Feasibility Study of an Express Assessment Protocol for the Indoor Air Quality of Air-conditioned Offices

Cited by 34 publications

References 19 publications

Airborne Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds, Formaldehyde and Ammonia in Finnish Office Buildings with Suspected Indoor Air Problems

Airborne Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds, Formaldehyde and Ammonia in Finnish Office Buildings with Suspected Indoor Air Problems

Epistemic evaluation of policy influence on workplace indoor air quality of Hong Kong in 1996—2005

Influence of indoor air quality (IAQ) objectives on air-conditioned offices in Hong Kong

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