YMEH0001: Engineering for a Sustainable Built

Environment, 2003

The Air we breathe

Part 1- Pollutant sources
Dr Yuguo Li
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Hong Kong

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"If you are not a part of the solution,
you are a part of the problem."

-- anon.

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Recommended readings

9 http://www.iaq.gov.hk/
9IAQ Information Centre;
9IAQ Management Group
9 http://www.epa.gov/iaq/

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 Topics today
9 Indoor air quality can be more important
than ambient air quality
9 Source control is the key

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The Air I Have Breathed
City Population (Million) TSP (µ g/m3)
Dalian 3 185
Shanghai 13 246
Beijing 11 377
Stockholm 1.5 9
Melbourne 3 35
Hong Kong 7 95

Note: Data from Air Quality in Hong Kong, 1999, EPD, HK

and 2002 World Development Indicators, World Bank
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Basic concepts

9 What is indoor?
9 What is indoor air quality?
9 What is ventilation?
9 What is air conditioning?
9 What is filtration?
9 What is indoor environment?

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Let’s do a survey…

9 For last week

1. How long did you stay at home?
2. How long did you stay in classrooms?
3. How long did you stay in buses, cars and taxis?
4. How long did you stay in shopping centers,
restaurants, and other public buildings?
5. How long did you stay outdoors (no roof)?

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 Summary so far -
9 Is IAQ different from thermal comfort?
9 Is ventilation different from air
conditioning?
9 Indoor air and outdoor air, which one is
better?
9 What are the factors affecting indoor air
quality?

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Why Build?
 Indoor air quality is defined as the nature of
indoor air that affects the health and well-being of
occupants. Good indoor air quality may be defined
as “air which is free of pollutants that cause
irritation, discomfort or ill health to occupants”

 Thermal comfort is defined as the state of mind in

which one acknowledges satisfaction with regard
to the thermal environment. Simply speaking, in a
thermally comfortable environment, we do not
feel cool or warm and no sweating.
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Engineering definition
 Good air quality means freedom from unwanted
odours, and restriction of air contaminant
concentrations below the levels at which irritation
or toxic effects manifest themselves.

 Thermal comfort is a measure of heat balance

between the occupant and the indoor habitat.
Physical parameters such as air temperature,
relative humidity, clothe insulation, metabolic
activities, air speed and mean radiant temperature
can be defined for defining thermal comfort levels.
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 Our basic needs
9 Healthy and comfortable - Thermal, visual,
acoustical, tongue, air quality
9 We spend more than 90% of our time
indoors
9 Indoor air quality is defined as the nature of
indoor air that affects the health and well-
being of occupants

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Healthy Buildings
How is the climate
here?

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 Do you know?
9 For normal conditions and a sedentary person:
9Takes about 15-40 breaths per minute or 22 k to
57 k breaths per day
9During each air change, about 1 litre of air is
replaced
9We breathe about 10 to 45 m3 of air per day.
How big is out bed room? 3 × 5 × 3 = 45 m3?

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Basic equation for indoor air
quality

Indoor
Concentration =
Pollutant source
strength
Outdoor +
Concentration Ventilation
airflow rate

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 Two approaches to control IAQ

9 Source control
9Use better materials
9Cleaning and filtration
9 Ventilation control
9Local ventilation
9General ventilation

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IAQ in Hong Kong

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IAQ in Hong Kong

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 Summary so far -
9 Is IAQ different from thermal comfort?
9 Is ventilation different from air
conditioning?
9 Indoor air and outdoor air, which one is
better?
9 What are the factors affecting indoor air
quality?

Healthy Buildings
 Summary so far -
9 Is IAQ different from thermal comfort?
9 Is ventilation different from air
conditioning?
9 Indoor air and outdoor air, which one is
better?
9 What are the factors affecting indoor air
quality?

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Do you believe that indoor is
cleaner than outdoor?

9 For pollutant predominantly originated

indoors
9 For pollutant predominantly originated
outdoors
9 For pollutant originated both indoors and
outdoors

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Table 1. Target concentrations for selected
contaminants (ASHRAE 62.1989).
Contaminant Typical indoor sources Level of interest
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Combustion appliances 3 ppm above outdoor level
(Leaky and unvented)
Parking garages 9 ppm 8-hour TLV
Formaldehyde (HCHO) Pressed wood, (fireboard) 120 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm)
Insulation, furnishings
Lead (Pb) Paint dust 1.5 mg/m3
Fuel additives
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Combustion appliances 100 mg/m3
Odours Occupants or visitors Acceptable to 80% or more
Fungi mould
VOC sources
Ozone Electrostatic appliances 100 mg/m3 (50 ppb)
Office machines
Ozone generators
Particles Dust 50 mg/m3
Smoke
Fraagments
Radon (Rn) Soil gas 4 pCi/litre
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Unvented space heaters 80 mg/m3
Total Volatile Organic Building materials <300 mg/m3 (good)
Compounds (VOCs) Furnishings 300-3000 mg/m3 (OK)
Household products > 3000 mg/m3 (complaints)

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Table 2. Ventilation requirements for fresh outdoor
air (ASHRAE, 1989)

Application L/s per person

Dining rooms 10
Hotel room 15 L/s per room
Offices, conference rooms 10
Public smoke lounge 30
Retail stores 1.0-1.5 L/(s.m2)
Auditorium 8
School class room 8
Hospital room 13
Residential living areas 0.33 air change per hour but >
7.5 L/s per occupant

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What is thermal comfort

http://www.innova.dk

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Met and clo

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Heat balance of the body

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Different met values leads to…

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Local thermal comfort

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 Questions so far -
9 Is IAQ different from thermal comfort?
9 Indoor air and outdoor air, which one is
better?
9 What are the factors affecting indoor air
quality?

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Summary
9 Indoor air quality can be more significant than outdoor
air quality
9 Indoor air quality is related to our health, our
productivity and out living

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Discussion Forum
9 IAQ in HKU classrooms?

9 Your opinions (Good, Neutral, Bad)

9 What can the university do?
9 What can the staff do or don’t do?
9 What can the students do or don’t do?

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