307 research outputs found
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Indoor acids and bases.
Numerous acids and bases influence indoor air quality. The most abundant of these species are CO2 (acidic) and NH3 (basic), both emitted by building occupants. Other prominent inorganic acids are HNO3 , HONO, SO2 , H2 SO4 , HCl, and HOCl. Prominent organic acids include formic, acetic, and lactic; nicotine is a noteworthy organic base. Sources of N-, S-, and Cl-containing acids can include ventilation from outdoors, indoor combustion, consumer product use, and chemical reactions. Organic acids are commonly more abundant indoors than outdoors, with indoor sources including occupants, wood, and cooking. Beyond NH3 and nicotine, other noteworthy bases include inorganic and organic amines. Acids and bases partition indoors among the gas-phase, airborne particles, bulk water, and surfaces; relevant thermodynamic parameters governing the partitioning are the acid-dissociation constant (Ka ), Henry's law constant (KH ), and the octanol-air partition coefficient (Koa ). Condensed-phase water strongly influences the fate of indoor acids and bases and is also a medium for chemical interactions. Indoor surfaces can be large reservoirs of acids and bases. This extensive review of the state of knowledge establishes a foundation for future inquiry to better understand how acids and bases influence the suitability of indoor environments for occupants, cultural artifacts, and sensitive equipment
Mathematical modeling of chemically reactive pollutants in indoor air
A general mathematical model is presented for predicting
the concentrations of chemically reactive compounds in indoor air. The model accounts for the effects of ventilation, filtration, heterogeneous removal, direct
emission, and photolytic and thermal chemical reactions.
The model is applied to the induction of photochemically
reactive pollutants into a museum gallery, and the predicted
NO, NO_x-NO, and O_3 concentrations are compared to measured data. The model predicts substantial production
of several species due to chemical reaction, including
HNO_2, HNO_3, NO_3, and N_2O_5. Circumstances in which homogeneous chemistry may assume particular importance
are identified and include buildings with glass walls, indoor combustion sources, and direct emission of olefins
Protection of Works of Art From Atmospheric Ozone
Assesses the colorfastness of organic colorants and watercolor pigments tested in atmospheric ozone. A summary of a full report of the Environmental Quality Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Investigating CO2 Removal by Ca- and Mg-based Sorbents with Application to Indoor Air Treatment
Indoor carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels serve as an indicator of ventilation sufficiency in relation to metabolic effluents. Recent evidence suggests that elevated CO 2 exposure (with or without other bioeffluents) may cause adverse cognitive effects. In shelter-in-place (SIP) facilities, indoor CO 2 levels may become particularly elevated. This study evaluates four low-cost alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides as CO 2 sorbents for potential use in indoor air cleaning applications. Sorbents studied were MgO, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 and commercially available soda lime. Uncarbonated sorbents characterized with nitrogen adsorption porosimetry showed BET surface areas in the 5.6–27 m 2 /g range. Microstructural analyses, including X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the carbonation mechanisms and extent of sorption under environmental conditions typical of indoor spaces. Ca-based sorbents demonstrated higher extent of carbonation than Mg-based sorbents. Laboratory parameterizations, including rate constants ( k ) and carbonation yields ( y ), were applied in material balance models to assess the CO 2 removal potential of Ca-based sorbents in three types of indoor environments. Soda lime ( k = [2.2–3.6] × 10 −3 m 3 mol CO 2 −1 h −1 , y = 0.49–0.51) showed potential for effective use in SIP facilities. For example, CO 2 exposure in a modeled SIP facility could be reduced by 80% for an 8-h sheltering interval and to levels below 5000 ppm for an 8-h period with a practically sized air cleaner. Predicted effectiveness was more modest for bedrooms and classroom
Airborne Particles in Museums
Presents one in a series of research activities aimed at a better understanding of the origin and fate of air pollution within the built environment
Ozone Reductions Using Residential Building Envelopes
Ozone is an air pollutant with that can have significant health effects and a significant source of ozone in some regions of California is outdoor air. Because people spend the vast majority of their time indoors, reduction in indoor levels of ozone could lead to improved health for many California residents. Ozone is removed from indoor air by surface reactions and can also be filtered by building envelopes. The magnitude of the envelope impact depends on the specific building materials that the air flows over and the geometry of the air flow paths through the envelope that can be changes by mechanical ventilation operation. The 2008 Residential Building Standards in California include minimum requirements for mechanical ventilation by referencing ASHRAE Standard 62.2. This study examines the changes in indoor ozone depending on the mechanical ventilation system selected to meet these requirements. This study used detailed simulations of ventilation in a house to examine the impacts of different ventilation systems on indoor ozone concentrations. The simulation results showed that staying indoors reduces exposure to ozone by 80percent to 90percent, that exhaust ventilation systems lead to lower indoor ozone concentrations, that opening of windows should be avoided at times of high outdoor ozone, and that changing the time at which mechanical ventilation occurs has the ability to halve exposure to ozone. Future work should focus on the products of ozone reactions in the building envelope and the fate of these products with respect to indoor exposures
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Indoor Particulate Matter during HOMEChem: Concentrations, Size Distributions, and Exposures.
It is important to improve our understanding of exposure to particulate matter (PM) in residences because of associated health risks. The HOMEChem campaign was conducted to investigate indoor chemistry in a manufactured test house during prescribed everyday activities, such as cooking, cleaning, and opening doors and windows. This paper focuses on measured size distributions of PM (0.001-20 μm), along with estimated exposures and respiratory-tract deposition. Number concentrations were highest for sub-10 nm particles during cooking using a propane-fueled stovetop. During some cooking activities, calculated PM2.5 mass concentrations (assuming a density of 1 g cm-3) exceeded 250 μg m-3, and exposure during the postcooking decay phase exceeded that of the cooking period itself. The modeled PM respiratory deposition for an adult residing in the test house kitchen for 12 h varied from 7 μg on a day with no indoor activities to 68 μg during a simulated day (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner preparation interspersed by cleaning activities) and rose to 149 μg during a simulated Thanksgiving day
Bioaerosol Deposition on an Air-Conditioning Cooling Coil
This study is concerned with the role of a fin-and-tube heat exchanger in modifying microbial indoor air quality. Specifically, depositional losses of ambient bioaerosols and particles onto dry (not cooled) and wet (cool) coil surfaces were measured for different airspeeds passing through the test coil. Total, bacterial and fungal DNA concentrations in condensate water produced by a wet coil were also quantified by means of fluorescent dsDNA-binding dye and qPCR assays. Results revealed that the deposition of bioaerosols and total particles is substantial on coil surfaces, especially when wet and cool. The average deposition fraction was 0.14 for total DNA, 0.18 for bacterial DNA and 0.22 for fungal DNA on the dry coil, increasing to 0.51 for total DNA, 0.50 for bacterial DNA and 0.68 for fungal DNA on the wet coil. Overall, as expected, deposition fractions increased with increasing particle size and increasing airspeed. Deposited DNA was removed from the cooling coil surfaces through the flow of condensing water at a rate comparable to the rate of direct deposition from air. A downward trend of bacterial and fungal DNA measured in condensate water over time provides suggestive evidence of biological growth on heat exchangers during nonoperational times of a ventilation system. This investigation provides new information about bioaerosol deposition onto a conventional fin-and-tube cooling coil, a potentially important factor influencing indoor exposure to microbial aerosols in air-conditioned buildings
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