Resuspension is an important source of particles in the indoor environment. A variable that may have a significant impact on the fraction of particles removed from indoor surfaces is the type of particle deposit. Particles may be deposited in either a monolayer, where there is minimal particle-to-particle contact, or a multilayer, where there is substantial particle-to-particle contact and interaction. This paper provides a review of theoretical and experimental studies on particle resuspension from monolayer and multilayer particle deposits. In addition, an experimental methodology was developed to determine resuspension from the two types of deposits on indoor surfaces. Seeded samples were exposed to controlled flow conditions in a micro-scale wind tunnel and were analyzed with fluorescence stereomicroscopy. Resuspension was found to occur at significantly lower velocities for multilayer deposits compared to monolayer deposits. / text

Retail stores are understudied given the energy, occupant health, and potential sales impacts associated with poor indoor air quality (IAQ). There is also evidence of elevated pollutants in retail environments. This thesis is an exploration of the indoor air quality of retail stores. The first section of this thesis is a literature review on field investigations of the indoor air quality in retail buildings. Sixteen investigations report different measurements in 17 specific types of retail environments. Measurements vary depending on the specific investigation, but include VOCs, SVOCs, particles, microbiological species, and radon. When reported, indoor to outdoor ratios of almost all pollutants are greater than unity, suggesting the importance of indoor sources in retail environments. The second section of this thesis is an analysis of the whole store net emission factor for different retail environments. From the types of pollutants found in the retail store investigations, VOCs were the only pollutant group studied frequently enough to merit this analysis. The final section is an analysis of the potential for pollutant remediation strategies. Two methods, increasing air change rate and air cleaning, are considered with an analysis of the energy penalties associated with each. / text

Airflow into, out of, and within buildings is fundamental to their design and operation as it can affect occupant health and comfort, building durability, and energy consumption. This thesis works to develop the understanding of airflow patterns and pressure regimes in high-rise multi-unit residential buildings which are both unique and complex due to the combination of their height, typical inclusion of operable windows, and compartmentalized layout. Specific attention is directed towards the performance of corridor pressurization based ventilation systems which are used pervasively within industry to ventilate and control contaminant transfer in these buildings. Airflow is caused by pressure differences which for buildings are created by the driving forces of wind, stack effect, and mechanical ventilation systems. These airflows are resisted by the air permeance (i.e. airtightness) of building elements including the exterior enclosure and interior compartmentalizing elements. Using an experimental program at a case study building, this thesis assesses the interaction of these driving forces of airflow with the physical building to create the airflow patterns for a typical high-rise multi-unit residential building. Perflourocarbon tracer (PFT) testing was performed to measure in-service airflows into and out of the suites. This testing found that the air change rates of upper suites are significantly higher than that of lower suites and that most suites receive small fractions of modern ventilation rates or are over ventilated. Airflow measurements of the supply of ventilation air to each corridor indicate that these low flow rates are in part due to leakage of air from the supply duct. The PFT testing also found that significant airflow occurred from the parking garage below the building into the occupied building spaces indicating significant potential for transfer of harmful air contaminants. The air permeance of the exterior enclosure and interior compartmentalizing elements were measured using neutralized fan pressurization and depressurization techniques and found to be within typical ranges. In particular this testing found that only 20% of the flow paths out of the corridor were to the adjacent suites through the suite entrance doors and that flows to the elevator shaft and stairwells could create a significant inefficiency in the ventilation system. A long-term monitoring program was implemented at the case study building primarily to monitor exterior environmental conditions including wind and exterior temperature and to correlate these with measured pressure differences. A strong correlation was found between building pressure and exterior temperature. Nearly 70% of the theoretical stack effect pressure was measured to act across the corridor to suite pressure boundary which creates a significant pressure differences to be overcome by the ventilation system, likely contributing to the uneven distribution of ventilation rates. Both wind and stack effect pressures were found to often be of similar or greater magnitude than mechanically induced pressure differences and thus can overwhelm the ventilation system. Overall, the corridor pressurization based ventilation system at the case study building does not effectively or efficiently ventilate the building and also does not provide sufficient control of air contaminants. As the case study building was found to be relatively representative of a typical multi-unit residential building, the findings from this building can be extended to many other buildings. Effective ventilation and airflow control in multi-unit residential buildings likely requires suite compartmentalization and direct supply of ventilation via ducted or in-suite systems.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81). Also available via the Internet.

No description available.

A fumaça ambiental de tabaco antes de ser um problema de saúde, o qual se torna quando é inalada, é um problema de engenharia, envolvendo fenômenos de transporte e saneamento ambiental, mecânica de fluidos e qualidade do ar. Este trabalho versou o problema da qualidade do ar de ambientes onde o fumo é permitido. Objetivou compilar uma base científica sobre a questão ventilação e poluição tabagística ambiental para embasar argumentações para o estabelecimento de leis de ambientes interiores livres de fumo. Mostrou-se que a fumaça do tabaco é agente cancerígeno em humanos, não havendo nível seguro de exposição a ela, e que a ventilação não soluciona o problema da exposição, sendo a abordagem eficiente no controle da qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores a proibição do fumo. A revisão das leis e normas brasileiras referentes à qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores onde o fumo é permitido mostrou que elas não estão alinhadas à base científica sobre a questão. Por modelagem física e experimentação em escala reduzida, o sistema de separação de áreas para fumantes e não-fumantes por ventilação proposto pelo projeto Convivência em Harmonia foi analisado, e mostrou-se que tal separação por ventilação não impede a dispersão da fumaça da área para fumantes para a área para não-fumantes. As metodologias de amostragem de ar indicadas para o levantamento de dados de poluição tabagística ambiental para a mobilização para a implementação de leis de ambientes livres de fumo foram avaliadas e algumas questões técnicas foram apontadas, bem como a necessidade da especificação de um instrumento em conformidade com a norma para material particulado da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, que pode ser considerada o processo nacional de amostragem do ar para estudos de poluição tabagística ambiental. / Environmental tobacco smoke, before becoming a health issue, which becomes when it is inhaled, is an engineering issue, involving transport phenomena and environment, fluid mechanics and air quality. This research approached the problem of air quality of places where smoking is allowed. The objective was to compile a scientific basis on the issue ventilation and environmental tobacco smoke to support arguments for the establishment of smoke-free laws. It was shown that tobacco smoke is carcinogenic to humans, with no safe level of exposure, and that ventilation does not solve the problem imposed by exposure, being the efficient approach on the control of indoor air quality the prohibition of smoking. The review of Brazilian laws and norms related to the indoor air quality of places where smoking is allowed showed that they are not aligned to the scientific basis of the issue. By physical modeling and experimentation on reduced-scale, the system of separation of smoking and non-smoking areas by ventilation proposed by the Courtesy of Choice project was analyzed, and it was shown that such separation by ventilation does not prevent the dispersion of smoke from smoking to non-smoking areas. The air sampling methodologies indicated for the collection of environmental tobacco smoke data for mobilizing the implementation of smokefree environments were evaluated and some technical issues were raised, as well as the need to specify an instrument in conformity with the particulate matter norm of the National Health Surveillance Agency, that may be considered the national air sampling process for environmental tobacco smoke studies.

A fumaça ambiental de tabaco antes de ser um problema de saúde, o qual se torna quando é inalada, é um problema de engenharia, envolvendo fenômenos de transporte e saneamento ambiental, mecânica de fluidos e qualidade do ar. Este trabalho versou o problema da qualidade do ar de ambientes onde o fumo é permitido. Objetivou compilar uma base científica sobre a questão ventilação e poluição tabagística ambiental para embasar argumentações para o estabelecimento de leis de ambientes interiores livres de fumo. Mostrou-se que a fumaça do tabaco é agente cancerígeno em humanos, não havendo nível seguro de exposição a ela, e que a ventilação não soluciona o problema da exposição, sendo a abordagem eficiente no controle da qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores a proibição do fumo. A revisão das leis e normas brasileiras referentes à qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores onde o fumo é permitido mostrou que elas não estão alinhadas à base científica sobre a questão. Por modelagem física e experimentação em escala reduzida, o sistema de separação de áreas para fumantes e não-fumantes por ventilação proposto pelo projeto Convivência em Harmonia foi analisado, e mostrou-se que tal separação por ventilação não impede a dispersão da fumaça da área para fumantes para a área para não-fumantes. As metodologias de amostragem de ar indicadas para o levantamento de dados de poluição tabagística ambiental para a mobilização para a implementação de leis de ambientes livres de fumo foram avaliadas e algumas questões técnicas foram apontadas, bem como a necessidade da especificação de um instrumento em conformidade com a norma para material particulado da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, que pode ser considerada o processo nacional de amostragem do ar para estudos de poluição tabagística ambiental. / Environmental tobacco smoke, before becoming a health issue, which becomes when it is inhaled, is an engineering issue, involving transport phenomena and environment, fluid mechanics and air quality. This research approached the problem of air quality of places where smoking is allowed. The objective was to compile a scientific basis on the issue ventilation and environmental tobacco smoke to support arguments for the establishment of smoke-free laws. It was shown that tobacco smoke is carcinogenic to humans, with no safe level of exposure, and that ventilation does not solve the problem imposed by exposure, being the efficient approach on the control of indoor air quality the prohibition of smoking. The review of Brazilian laws and norms related to the indoor air quality of places where smoking is allowed showed that they are not aligned to the scientific basis of the issue. By physical modeling and experimentation on reduced-scale, the system of separation of smoking and non-smoking areas by ventilation proposed by the Courtesy of Choice project was analyzed, and it was shown that such separation by ventilation does not prevent the dispersion of smoke from smoking to non-smoking areas. The air sampling methodologies indicated for the collection of environmental tobacco smoke data for mobilizing the implementation of smokefree environments were evaluated and some technical issues were raised, as well as the need to specify an instrument in conformity with the particulate matter norm of the National Health Surveillance Agency, that may be considered the national air sampling process for environmental tobacco smoke studies.

A fumaça ambiental de tabaco antes de ser um problema de saúde, o qual se torna quando é inalada, é um problema de engenharia, envolvendo fenômenos de transporte e saneamento ambiental, mecânica de fluidos e qualidade do ar. Este trabalho versou o problema da qualidade do ar de ambientes onde o fumo é permitido. Objetivou compilar uma base científica sobre a questão ventilação e poluição tabagística ambiental para embasar argumentações para o estabelecimento de leis de ambientes interiores livres de fumo. Mostrou-se que a fumaça do tabaco é agente cancerígeno em humanos, não havendo nível seguro de exposição a ela, e que a ventilação não soluciona o problema da exposição, sendo a abordagem eficiente no controle da qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores a proibição do fumo. A revisão das leis e normas brasileiras referentes à qualidade do ar de ambientes interiores onde o fumo é permitido mostrou que elas não estão alinhadas à base científica sobre a questão. Por modelagem física e experimentação em escala reduzida, o sistema de separação de áreas para fumantes e não-fumantes por ventilação proposto pelo projeto Convivência em Harmonia foi analisado, e mostrou-se que tal separação por ventilação não impede a dispersão da fumaça da área para fumantes para a área para não-fumantes. As metodologias de amostragem de ar indicadas para o levantamento de dados de poluição tabagística ambiental para a mobilização para a implementação de leis de ambientes livres de fumo foram avaliadas e algumas questões técnicas foram apontadas, bem como a necessidade da especificação de um instrumento em conformidade com a norma para material particulado da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, que pode ser considerada o processo nacional de amostragem do ar para estudos de poluição tabagística ambiental. / Environmental tobacco smoke, before becoming a health issue, which becomes when it is inhaled, is an engineering issue, involving transport phenomena and environment, fluid mechanics and air quality. This research approached the problem of air quality of places where smoking is allowed. The objective was to compile a scientific basis on the issue ventilation and environmental tobacco smoke to support arguments for the establishment of smoke-free laws. It was shown that tobacco smoke is carcinogenic to humans, with no safe level of exposure, and that ventilation does not solve the problem imposed by exposure, being the efficient approach on the control of indoor air quality the prohibition of smoking. The review of Brazilian laws and norms related to the indoor air quality of places where smoking is allowed showed that they are not aligned to the scientific basis of the issue. By physical modeling and experimentation on reduced-scale, the system of separation of smoking and non-smoking areas by ventilation proposed by the Courtesy of Choice project was analyzed, and it was shown that such separation by ventilation does not prevent the dispersion of smoke from smoking to non-smoking areas. The air sampling methodologies indicated for the collection of environmental tobacco smoke data for mobilizing the implementation of smokefree environments were evaluated and some technical issues were raised, as well as the need to specify an instrument in conformity with the particulate matter norm of the National Health Surveillance Agency, that may be considered the national air sampling process for environmental tobacco smoke studies.

Nos últimos anos tem havido um aumento no estudo da qualidade do ar interno relacionado aos sistemas de ventilação mecânica e condicionamento do ar. Isso é especialmente fundamental em hospitais, onde a transmissão da contaminação pelo ar é considerada uma das principais causas de aquisição de doenças por pacientes, profissionais de saúde e visitantes. Além disso, essas instituições por abrigarem diversos setores, cada um com uma especificidade e função, exigem diferentes condições de conforto ambiental, sob os aspectos higrotérmico e de qualidade do ar, além do acústico e luminoso. Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade o ar, sob os parâmetros de conforto térmico e da concentração de dióxido de carbono em ambientes hospitalares climatizados artificialmente, realizou-se uma investigação de campo em salas de espera e salas de cirurgias de uma amostra de seis edifícios hospitalares na cidade de São Paulo e região metropolitana. Para coleta dos dados foram utilizados instrumentos de monitoramento, portáteis e de elevada precisão, adequados para a realização da pesquisa. Os resultados obtidos a partir da análise desses dados apontaram relevantes problemas relacionados ao conforto e a qualidade do ar. Dentre esses problemas, destacam-se a ausência de controle do diferencial de pressão entre as salas de cirurgias e os corredores; a divergência entre as temperaturas operativas ideais para promoção do conforto térmico para grupos de pessoas com diferentes vestimentas e nível de atividade, ocupando um mesmo ambiente, no caso, as salas de cirurgias; a insuficiência de renovação de ar, especialmente nas salas de espera equipadas com o sistema de climatização do tipo split-system; além da ausência de padronização entre os critérios dos referenciais técnicos mais adotados. Sob esses aspectos, percebeu-se a necessidade de melhoria do conhecimento da interação entre os ocupantes e o ambiente, especialmente naqueles onde o controle se faz necessário para a promoção da saúde. / In recent years has been increased interest in thermal comfort and air quality of indoor environments related to mechanical ventilation systems and air conditioning. This is especially crucial in hospitals where contaminated air transmission is considered a major cause of acquiring disease for patients, health care professionals and visitors. Moreover, these institutions having different sectors, each one with a speciality and function, require different conditions of environmental comfort, in terms of hygrothermal, air quality, acoustic and luminous aspects. In order to evaluate the air quality under the parameters of thermal comfort and carbon dioxide concentration in air conditioning hospital environments, it was carried out a field investigation in waiting rooms and operating rooms in six hospitals in São Paulo and metropolitan region. For data collection were used portable monitoring devices, suitable for research. The results from data analysis indicated significant problems related to thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Among these problems, it can be highlighted the lack of the differential pressure control between the operating rooms and corridors; the divergence among the optimal operative temperatures to provide thermal comfort for different groups of people with different clothing and activity level, occupying the same environment, in this case, the operating rooms; the disregard with the air changes required, especially in waiting rooms equipped with the splitsystem; besides the lack of standardization among the technical references criteria often used. Under these aspects, it is necessary to improve the knowledge of the interaction between the occupants and the environment, especially where the environmental control is decisive to promote the health.

Este trabalho apresenta uma caracterização ambiental do Mercado Municipal da cidade de São Carlos-SP, localizado na região central da cidade, onde ocorre grande movimentação de pessoas e veículos, em horário comercial. Foram analisados os níveis de material particulado em suspensão no ar, nas suas frações MP10 e MP2,5, níveis de ruído, temperatura e umidade relativa do ar relativa, nos ambientes internos e externos do Mercado. Os valores das concentrações de material particulado, tanto para MP10, como MP2,5, apresentaram-se, em geral, maiores no ambiente interno do que no externo. Os valores encontrados para MP2,5 chegaram a 66,60 g/m³, no ambiente interno, e 60,56 g/m³, no externo. Para a fração MP10, a concentração interna alcançou o valor de 117,74 g/m³ e a externa atingiu os 134,51 g/m³. Duas metodologias diferentes foram utilizadas para a determinação da concentração de material particulado em suspensão, a gravimetria pelo Personal Enviromental Monitor (PEM), e a fotometria por espalhamento de luz pelo aparelho ADR-1500 e pDR-1500. A técnica da gravimetria apresentou, em geral, os valores mais elevados. Uma análise do material particulado foi realizada, por meio da técnica de Fluorescência de Raio-X, para identificação dos elementos químicos presentes. Foram encontrados: Ba, Ca, K, Zn, S, Fe, e Rb. Já em relação à temperatura e umidade relativa do ar, os níveis oscilaram bastante durante o dia, com médias da temperatura interna entre 14°C e 34°C, e a umidade com valores entre 19% e 58%. Foi calculado o Índice de Calor (Hi - Heat Index), revelando desconforto térmico na maior parte dos dias, com as temperaturas internas normalmente acima das externas. Os níveis de ruído encontrados no ambiente interno e externo chegaram a 71,42 e 85,43 dB(A), respectivamente. Foi aplicado um questionário sobre qualidade ambiental aos funcionários do Mercado: 67% dos respondentes acham o local muito quente e 33 % consideram o local muito ruidoso. / This study presents an environmental characterization of the Municipal Market in the city of São Carlos, SP, located at the downtown area, where there is a great movement of people and vehicles, mainly during business hours. The levels of suspended particulate matter in the air were analyzed, in its fractions PM10 and PM2,5, noise levels, temperature and relative humidity in indoor and outdoor environments of the Market. The concentrations of the particulate material for both MP10 and PM2,5, are presented in general higher in the internal environment than the outer and exceeded the limits of the World Health Organization-WHO. The values for PM2,5 reached to 66,60 g/m³, the internal environment, and 60,56 g/m³, externally. For PM10 fraction, the internal concentration reached a value of 117,74 g/m³ and external reached 134,51 g/m³. Two different methods were used to determine the concentration of suspended particulate matter, gravimetry by The Environmental Monitor-PEM and light scattering photometric by the device ADR-1500 and pDR-1500. The gravimetric technique showed in general the highest values. An analysis of the particulate matter was performed by the technique of X-ray fluorescence for the identification of chemical elements. Were found: Ba, Ca, K, Zn, Fe and Rb. In relation to temperature and relative humidity, levels oscillated during the day, with average of the internal temperature between 14°C and 34°C, and humidity with values between 19% and 58%. Were calculated the Heat Index (Hi), revealing thermal discomfort in most of the days, with internal temperatures usually above the external. The noise levels in the internal and external environment reached 71,42 and 85,43 dB(A), respectively. A questionnaire about the environmental quality was applied on the officials Market: 67% of respondents thought the place was very hot and 33% considered the place very noisy.