No description available.

No description available.

This thesis comprises three chapters on topics in development economics. The first chapter studies access to maternal healthcare in markets with vertically differentiated public and private providers. The second chapter studies the efficacy of induction stoves in reducing indoor air pollution in rural households when faced with erratic power supply. Finally, the third chapter studies the role of financial incentives in correcting disparities in sex ratios. All three chapters study the context of India but are representative of important development issues in low-income countries. The first chapter titled "Equilibrium Effects of Subsidizing Public Services" studies one of India's largest welfare schemes Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) that incentivized pregnant women in India to access institutional maternal care at public hospitals. We argue that governments can make complementary investments to improve welfare gains from large scale policies. JSY did not improve health outcomes despite a substantial increase in the take-up of institutional care. We document three equilibrium responses that explain this policy failure. First, JSY led to a mismatch of risk across health facilities -- high-risk mothers sorted out of highest quality care at private facilities. Second, in line with the literature, public sector quality deteriorated as a result of congestion. This resulted in lower quality care for both marginal as well as infra-marginal patients at public hospitals. We show that only mothers with high socio-economic status adapted to the worsening quality of care at public hospitals by sorting into more expensive private hospitals. Third, despite increased competition, private hospitals maintained high prices, crowding out riskier and poorer mothers. We do not find evidence that private hospitals improved healthcare quality to justify higher prices. The second chapter titled "Electric Stoves as a Solution for Household Air Pollution" is an interdisciplinary field-based research study that studies the role of reliable electricity in inducing rural Indian households to switch away from dirty cooking fuels towards a clean cooking technology, induction cookstoves, thereby reducing the exposure to high levels of indoor air pollution. We collected minute-by-minute data on electricity availability, electric induction stove use, and kitchen and outdoor particulate pollution in a sample of rural Indian households for one year. Using within household-month variation generated by unpredictable outages, we estimate the effects of electricity availability and electric induction stove use on kitchen PM2.5 concentration at each hour of the day. Electricity availability reduces kitchen PM2.5 by up to 50 ??/?3, which is between 10 and 20 percent of peak concentrations during cooking hours. Induction stove use instrumented by electricity availability reduces PM2.5 in kitchens by 200-450 ??/?3 during cooking hours. The final chapter titled "Can Large-Scale Conditional Cash Transfers Resolve the Fertility-Sex Ratio Trade-off? Evidence from India" studies a large-scale conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme Ladli Laxmi Yojana that offered cash incentives to households upon the birth of girl children. The policy also offered substantial incentive for investing in girls' education. In my evaluation of the Ladli Laxmi Yojana in Madhya Pradesh, India. I find that financial incentives aimed at the girl child increased average fertility by about 0.15 children per household (on baseline average of 0.93 children) children per household and improved sex-ratio by 3%. This points to the well known fertility-sex ratio trade-off. Moreover, these effects are quite opposite to a similar CCT scheme in Haryana (Anukriti, 2018) suggesting context dependence of such policies.

<p dir="ltr">As people in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors, their exposure to indoor air pollutants released during the use of household consumer products cannot be overlooked. Studies have shown that consumer products such as disinfectants, cleaning agents, and personal care products (PCPs) contain complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Monoterpenes, added as active ingredients in cleaning agents and fragrances, are commonly detected in these products. Monoterpenes can react with ozone (O₃) and initiate the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Siloxanes, another category of compounds commonly found in PCPs, can bioaccumulate and may adversely impact the environment and human health.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Most prior studies have evaluated chemical emissions from these products using offline techniques, such as sorbent tube sampling followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Few studies have been conducted during real-life use of these products in indoor environments. Considering that many indoor activities are often transient, the composition of indoor air can be rapidly altered. Real-time monitoring of indoor VOCs and aerosols is necessary to capture the temporal variations in emissions during indoor activities and to evaluate their impact on indoor air chemistry, human exposure, and outdoor air quality. In addition, O₃also plays an important role in indoor chemistry. Indoor O₃concentrations are strongly linked to ventilation system operation and occupancy patterns, as the ventilation from outdoors is the major source of indoor O₃ and occupants are a major sink of indoor O₃. However, studies on how ventilation modes and occupancy impact spatiotemporal distributions of indoor O₃are limited.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Hazardous chemical incidents can potentially be another unexpected source of indoor pollutants, releasing volatile chemicals which can be transported to indoor environments via building ventilation. Evaluation of air, water, and soil contamination and human exposure risks is critical in the emergency response to hazardous chemical incidents, to develop effective remediation strategies. An effective and reliable approach to assess air, water, and soil contamination, and subsequent human exposures, is urgently needed.</p><p dir="ltr">To fill these research gaps, this dissertation aims to: (1.) characterize gas- and particle-phase emissions in real-time during common indoor activities, including surface disinfection, cleaning, and hair styling; (2.) evaluate the impact of indoor emissions on human health and the atmospheric environment; (3.) map the spatiotemporal distribution of O₃ and CO₂ concentrations throughout a building ventilation system; (4.) develop a methodology for rapid screening of VOCs in surface water samples collected from a chemical disaster site.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">To achieve research goals (1.) and (2.), a field campaign was conducted at the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (IURTP) field laboratory in summer 2019 and two field campaigns were conducted at the Purdue zero Energy Design Guidance for Engineers (zEDGE) Tiny House in fall 2020 and summer 2021 to characterize emissions from the use of cleaning agents, disinfectants, and hair care products in indoor environments, respectively. A proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) was used to monitor the mixing ratios of VOCs in real-time. To achieve research goal (3.), a multi-point sampling system was created at the Herrick Living Laboratories and its ventilation system in spring and summer 2019 to monitor spatiotemporal trends in O₃concentrations. To achieve goal (4.), a controlled static headspace sampling system, in conjunction with a high-resolution PTR-TOF-MS was developed to analyze surface water samples collected from East Palestine, Ohio, U.S. in the weeks after a train derailment and subsequent chemical spill and burn.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The goal of this thesis is to develop a method of evaluating long-term IAQ performance of an industrial facility and use machine-learning to model the relationship between critical air pollutants and the facility’s HVAC systems and processes. The facility under study for this thesis is an electroplating manufacturer. The air pollutants at this facility that were studied were particulate matter, total-volatile organic compounds, and carbon-dioxide. Upon sensor installation, seven “zones” were identified to isolate areas of the plant for measurement and analysis. A statistical review of the long-term data highlighted how this facility performed in terms of compliance. Their gaseous pollutants were well within regulation. Particulate matter, however, was found to be a pressing issue. PM10 was outside of compliance more than 15% of the time in five out of seven of the zones of study. Some zones were out of compliance up to 80% of the total collection period. The six pollutants that met these criteria were deemed critical and moved on to machine learning modeling. Our model of best fit for each pollutant used a gaussian process regression model, which fits best for non-linear rightly skewed datasets. The performance of each of our models was deemed significant. Every model had at least a regression coefficient of 0.935 and above for both validation and testing. The maximum average error was 12.64 ug.m^3, which is less than 10% of the average PM10 concentration. Through our modeling, we were able to study how HVAC and production played a role in particulate matter presence for each zone. Exhaust systems of the west side of the plant were found to be insufficient at removing particulates from their facility. Overall, the methods developed in this thesis project were able to meet the goal of analyzing IAQ compliance, modeling critical pollutants using machine learning, and identifying a relationship between these pollutants and an industrial facility’s HVAC and production systems.</p>

EU har enats om att minska energianvändningen med minst 11,7 % jämfört med prognosen för den förväntade energianvändningen till 2030. Nära hälften av Sveriges energianvändning går bland annat till uppvärmning i bostads- och servicesektorn. I Sverige kan energieffektivisering, genom ventilation, vara lönsamt ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv men även för att nå klimat- och energimål. Genom att använda behovsstyrd ventilation och från- och tilluftssystem med värmeväxling kan energiförbrukningen minska betydligt. Att använda behovsstyrd ventilation går bara att göra om inte människans hälsa påverkas eller den upplevda luftkvaliteten försämras. Studien fokuserar på hur olika ventilationsflöden nattetid i studentlägenheter påverkar både energiförbrukningen och luftkvalitén under vinterhalvåret. Målet är att minska ventilationsflödet utan att påverka luftkvalitet, upplevd luftkvalitet och sömnkvalitet negativt samtidigt som energi kan sparas.  Studien genomfördes i studentboendet Bifrost som är en fastighet i Borås som Bostäder i Borås AB förvaltar. Fastigheten består av fem våningar med totalt 40 studentlägenheter. Genom att mäta koldioxid, temperatur och relativa fuktighet samt att de boende får svara på morgonenkäter om den upplevda luftkvaliteten. Vilket gör att luftkvaliteten och sömnkvaliteten kan analyseras. En utförlig arbetsgång inkluderade förberedelser, kalibrering av mätare, installation av mätarna och enkätutskick. Mätperioden pågick under två veckor med fyra olika ventilationsflöden som reglerades klockan 22:00 på kvällen och sedan tillbaka igen till det normala flödet klockan 10:00 på morgonen. Den långa mätperioden gjorde att alla ventilationsflöden kunde prövas två gånger var och jämföras. Flödena som testades utgick från fastigheten Bifrosts normala flöde (1200 l/s) som är fördelat på de 40 lägenheterna. Förutom det normala flödet testades även mycket lågt flöde (360 l/s), lågt flöde (700 l/s) och ett mycket högt flöde (1350 l/s). Energibesparingen utvärderades efter mätperioden genom beräkningar i jämförelse med det normala flödet.  Beräkningarna visade att genom att göra nattsänkning av ventilationsflödet blev det en energibesparing jämfört med normala flödet. Vid det mycket låga flödet sänktes energiförbrukningen 22 474 kWh/år, vid det låga flödet sänktes energiförbrukningen 13 377 kWh/år medan det höga flödet ökar energiförbrukningen med 4013 kWh/år.  Sammanfattningsvis påverkade inte de olika flödena signifikant de boendes upplevelse av luftkvalitet eller deras sömn. Detta även om det vid det mycket låga ventilationsflödet visade sig ha en koldioxidhalt över 1000 ppm, vilket kan vara en indikation på att ventilationen inte är tillräcklig för att ventilera ut föroreningar. De tre andra ventilationsflödena har koldioxidhalter under 1000 ppm vilket tyder på att ventilationen är tillräcklig. Även om ett lägre ventilationsflöde under myndighetskraven inte påverkar människans hälsa negativt eller försämrar luftkvaliteten är det inte aktuellt att sänka till. Temperaturen påverkades inte märkbart vid något av ventilationsflödena. Den relativa fuktigheten visade inte heller på någon större märkbar förändring. / The EU has agreed to reduce energy use by at least 11.7% compared to the forecasted energy use by 2030. Nearly half of Sweden's energy use goes to heating in the residential and service sectors. In Sweden, energy efficiency through ventilation can be economically beneficial and help achieve climate and energy goals. By using demand-controlled ventilation and supply and exhaust systems with heat exchange, energy consumption can be significantly reduced. Demand-controlled ventilation can only be used if it does not affect human health or reduce perceived air quality.  The study focuses on how different ventilation flows at night in student apartments affect both energy consumption and air quality during the winter months. The goal is to reduce ventilation flow without negatively impacting air quality, perceived air quality, or sleep quality, while saving energy.  The study was conducted in the Bifrost student housing, a building in Borås managed by Bostäder i Borås AB. The building has five floors with a total of 40 student apartments. CO2, temperature, and relative humidity were measured, and residents answered morning surveys about perceived air quality. This allowed for the analysis of air quality and sleep quality. The detailed process included preparations, calibration of meters, installation of meters, and distribution of surveys. The measurement period lasted two weeks with four different ventilation flows regulated from 10:00 PM to 10:00 AM. The long measurement period allowed each flow to be tested twice and compared. The tested flows were based on Bifrost's normal flow (1200 l/s) which is distributed among the 40 apartments. Besides the normal flow, very low flow (360 l/s), low flow (700 l/s), and very high flow (1350 l/s) were tested. Energy savings were evaluated after the measurement period by comparing calculations to the normal flow.  Calculations showed that reducing the nighttime ventilation flow resulted in energy savings compared to the normal flow. The very low flow reduced energy consumption by 22,474 kWh/year, the low flow reduced it by 13,377 kWh/year, while the high flow increased energy consumption by 4013 kWh/year. In summary, the different ventilation flows did not significantly affect the residents' perception of air quality or their sleep. However, at the very low ventilation flow, the CO2 level was over 1000 ppm, which can indicate that the ventilation is not enough to remove pollutants. The other three ventilation flows had CO2 levels below 1000 ppm, indicating that the ventilation is sufficient. Even though a lower ventilation flow below regulatory standards does not negatively impact human health or air quality, it is not recommended to lower it further. Temperature was not noticeably affected by any of the ventilation flows. Relative humidity also did not show any significant changes.

Air pollution of late has been the focus of many studies due to the detrimental health risks that it poses to individuals. University environments have several academic departments with peculiar activities that could be affecting the indoor and outdoor air quality (AQ) of these environments. University settings differ from other environments because of the variety of activities and different lines of work that go on inside buildings housing academic departments and their surroundings, which are likely to have an impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) and outdoor air quality (OAQ) in this environment. Only a few AQ studies have been done in university sites and surrounds worldwide and in these studies, IAQ was given primary importance; whereas, the outdoor environment was and is often neglected. A study comparing both IAQ and OAQ is critical to further understand the relationship between IAQ and OAQ within a university campus. The University of Limpopo (UL) in the Mankweng township of South Africa has been undergoing some refurbishments with numerous construction activities going on in addition to the academic activities of UL. These activities may be affecting the AQ in this unique environment. The main aim of this study was to determine differences between indoor and outdoor AQ in a university environment and to understand how AQ in this unique environment varies with seasons and building function. The study was carried out in three buildings housing three different academic departments in UL namely: Department of Physiology and Environmental Health (PEH), Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology (BMBT) and the Department of Biodiversity (BIOD). Twenty indoor and 20 outdoor measuring sites were identified per departmental building from where real-time measurements of 11 AQ parameters (linear air velocity (LAV), dry-bulb temperature (Tdb), relative humidity (RH), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) were taken over three consecutive days per season. Thus, a total of 60 indoor and 60 outdoor measurements were taken for each parameter in each of the three buildings of interest per season, leading to 360 measurements per season and 1440 measurement per parameter over the one-year period of study across the study area. A hot-wire anemometer was used to measure LAV, whereas the Q-Trak indoor AQ monitor was used in the measurement of Tdb, RH, CO and CO2. Aeroqual AQ monitors were employed in the measurement of O3, SO2, NO2, H2S, NMHCs and VOCs. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to determine differences between indoor and outdoor environments. Significant differences were found between the indoor and outdoor environments for LAV (all three buildings), Tdb (PEH and BMBT), RH (BIOD), O3 (all three buildings), NO2 (all three buildings), CO (all three buildings), CO2 (all three buildings), NMHCs (BMBT and BIOD), and VOCs (all three buildings) (p < 0.05). Linear air velocity, O3, SO2, CO, CO2, and H2S values/concentrations across the indoor/outdoor environments were within the ASHRAE/DEA/WHO guidelines/standards, whereas Tdb, RH and NO2 values/concentrations were not. Air quality in the study area varied with building, with the best AQ across both the indoor and outdoor environments being within the BIOD building, whilst the worst AQ across both environments was encountered in the PEH building. Seasonal differences between buildings were also identified between indoor and outdoor environments among the PEH, BMBT and BIOD buildings (p < 0.008). Across the indoor environment, the winter season was found to be the season with the best AQ, since all the pollutants were found at minimum concentrations. Factors affecting AQ in the study area included thermal comfort, occupant densities, building function, laboratory emissions, renovation activities, generators, vehicular emissions, among others. The best AQ across the outdoor environment occurred during the autumn season, since all the air pollutants were present at minimal concentrations during this time. The best predictors of LAV, Tdb, CO, CO2, NO2, and NMHCs were seasons (R2 = 1.000, p < 0.01). For the parameters RH, H2S, and VOCs, the best predictor was building type (R2 = 1.000, p < 0.01). The indoor and outdoor environment were the best predictors for SO2 (R2 = 0.999, p < 0.01). Ozone had no single predictor that was found to significantly influence its concentration in this study. In relation to an air pollution index (API), generally all pollutant indices fell within the fair, good to very good range when using mean and maxima concentrations, whereas, corresponding NO2 concentrations throughout the study fell within the poor to very poor range (105.660–250.000). University management should take into consideration ventilation in laboratories, occupant densities and location of standby generators and car parks in the management of AQ on the university campus. All heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems need to be upgraded and work in tandem with natural ventilation when having high occupant densities within buildings. Future studies in this sector could incorporate larger sample sizes, be designed as a longitudinal study, and make use of questionnaires and sample more AQ parameters to get a detailed understanding of a university site and its surrounds. / Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Science)

Spaces with high occupancy density like classrooms are challenging to ventilate and use a lot of energy to maintain comfort. Usually, a compromise is made between low energy use and good Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), of which poor IEQ has consequences for occupants’ health, productivity and comfort. Alternative strategies that incorporate elevated air speeds can reduce cooling energy demand and provide occupant’s comfort and productivity at higher operative temperatures. A ventilation strategy, Intermittent Air Jet Strategy (IAJS), which optimizes controlled intermittent airflow and creates non-uniform airflow and non-isothermal conditions, critical for sedentary operations at elevated temperatures, is proposed herein. The primary aim of the work was to investigate the potential of IAJS as a ventilation system in high occupancy spaces. Ventilation parameters such as air distribution, thermal comfort and indoor air quality are evaluated and the system is compared with a traditional system, specifically, mixing ventilation (MV). A 3-part research process was used: (1) Technical (objective) evaluation of IAJS in-comparison to MV and displacement ventilation (DV) systems. (2) An occupant response study to IAJS. (3) Estimation of the cooling effect under IAJS and its implications on energy use. All studies were conducted in controlled chambers. The results show that while MV and DV creates steady airflow conditions, IAJS has  cyclic airflow profiles which results in a sinusoidal temperature profile around occupants. Air distribution capability of IAJS is similar to MV, both having a generic local air quality index in the occupied zone. On the other hand, the systems overall air change rate was higher than a MV. Thermal comfort results suggest that IAJS generates comfortable thermal climate at higher operative temperatures compared to MV. Occupant responses to IAJS show an improved thermal sensation, air quality perception and acceptability of indoor environment at higher temperatures as compared to MV. A comparative study to estimate the cooling effect of IAJS shows that upper HVAC setpoint can be increased from 2.3 – 4.5 oC for a neutral thermal sensation compared to a MV. This implies a substantial energy saving potential on the ventilation system. In general, IAJS showed a potential for use as a ventilation system in classrooms while promising energy savings. / Lokaler där många människor vistas, som t.ex. klassrum, är ofta svåra att ventilera. Att upprätthålla en bra termisk komfort kräver en hög energianvändning. Vanligtvis blir det en kompromiss mellan låg energianvändning och bra kvalitet på inomhusmiljön (IEQ). Dålig IEQ får konsekvenser för människors hälsa, produktivitet och komfort. Alternativa ventilationsstrategier, som använder förhöjda lufthastigheter, kan minska kylbehovet och därmed energianvändningen. I denna avhandling utvärderas en ny ventilationsstrategi, Intermittenta luftstrålar (IAJS), där korta perioder med hög lufthastighet genererar en svalkande effekt, när rummets temperatur upplevs som för hög. Det primära syftet med arbetet var att undersöka potentialen hos IAJS som ett ventilationssystem för klassrum, där den termiska lasten ofta är hög. Strategin jämförs mot traditionella ventilationsprinciper som omblandande ventilation (MV) och deplacerande ventilation (DV). Parametrar som luftdistributionsindex, termisk komfort, luftkvalitet och energibesparing har utvärderats. Alla studier utfördes i klimatkammare. Resultaten visar att medan MV och DV skapar konstanta luftflödesförhållanden genererar IAJS cykliska hastighetsprofiler samt en sinusformad temperaturvariation i vistelsezonen. IAJS klarar att bibehålla ett bra termiskt klimat vid högre operativa temperaturer jämfört med MV. I en jämförelse med ett traditionellt HVAC-system visar beräkningar  att dess börvärde kan höjas från 2.3 till 4.5 °C med bibehållen termisk komfort. Detta indikerar en avsevärd energibesparingspotential vid användande av IAJS.

Ces derniers temps, des procédés commerciaux basés sur la technologie photocatalytique, sont arrivés sur le marché, afin de satisfaire la demande croissante du traitement de l’air intérieur. L’objectif de ce présent travail est de développer une nouvelle méthodologie pour évaluer l’efficacité de ce nouveau procédé. Pour l’étude de l’application de la photocatalyse au traitement de l’air intérieur, un dispositif expérimental a été mis au point et deux méthodes analytiques ont été développées (ATD-GCMS et GC-PDHID). La performance de la dégradation photocatalytique du 2-propanol et du toluène à faibles concentrations (ppbv) a été étudiée. L’influence des différents paramètres (humidité relative, débit, concentration initiale, etc.) et leurs interactions sur la conversion, la formation des intermédiaires et la minéralisation au CO2 a été établie / Many commercial systems based in the photocatalytic technology have reached the market recently in order to address the growing demand for improve poor indoor air qualities. The present work deals with the development of a new methodology in order to evaluate the efficiency of this process. For the study of photocatalytic oxidation for indoor air applications, an experimental set-up was designed and two analytical tools (ATD-GC-MS and GC-PDHID) were developed. The performance of the photocatalytic treatment of 2-propanol and toluene at indoor air concentrations levels (ppbv) were realised. The influence of several parameters and their interactions effects on the conversion, by-product formation and mineralization to CO2 were established

Ocupantes de ambientes internos climatizados artificialmente estão expostos contínua e prolongadamente a condições ambientais muitas vezes desfavoráveis à execução de suas atividades e à manutenção da saúde. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar alguns parâmetros de qualidade do ar interior e de conforto térmico de um edifício climatizado artificialmente e relacioná-los à utilização de sistema de condicionamento de ar com distribuição pelo piso em ambientes que não são caracterizados como escritórios abertos. Considerando que o edifício estudado apresenta usos distintos de seus pavimentos, optou-se pela avaliação de dois deles, um pavimento cujo layout é de salas de aula e outro de escritório semi-aberto. Os parâmetros foram analisados em três momentos distintos. O primeiro se caracteriza por três ciclos semestrais de medições de temperatura, umidade relativa e velocidade do ar, concentração de aerossóis, dióxido de carbono e fungos. A segunda etapa consiste em uma campanha única de medições, com duração de quatro dias, permitindo a realização de perfis de temperatura e umidade relativa, avaliação das velocidades do ar em pontos de desconforto e cálculo dos índices de conforto térmico PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) e PPD (Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied). Em um terceiro e último momento, aplicou-se o questionário de qualidade ambiental interior aos ocupantes de ambos os pavimentos. Resultados obtidos nos ciclos permitiram identificar concentrações de fungos e dióxido de carbono acima dos limites indicados. Os perfis de temperatura revelaram a predominância das mesmas abaixo do recomendado. O cálculo dos índices PMV e PPD apontaram para um cenário de maior conforto térmico nos ambientes estudados com temperatura operativa igual a 24 graus Celsius. Os resultados dos questionários corroboraram as medições de temperatura, indicando a prevalência das sensações térmicas relacionadas ao frio entre os ocupantes do edifício, em especial aqueles do sexo feminino. Ficou evidenciado que o conforto térmico nos ambientes pesquisados é um fator perturbador das atividades exercidas em ambos os pavimentos. Houve um grande número de relatos de ocupantes com sintomas típicos da Síndrome dos Edifícios Doentes (SED), sugerindo que medidas relativas à qualidade ambiental devem ser tomadas em prol da saúde, bem estar e produtividade dos ocupantes do edifício. Concluiu-se que a operação e manutenção do sistema de condicionamento de ar com insuflamento pelo piso em ambientes distintos de escritórios abertos são mais complexas e, por isso, dificultam o alcance de uma qualidade ambiental interior satisfatória. / Occupants of artificially conditioned indoor spaces are continuously and lengthily exposed to environmental conditions mostly adverse to their activities performance and health maintenance. The purpose of this research was to evaluate some indoor air quality and thermal comfort parameters of an artificially conditioned building, and relate them to the employment of underfloor air conditioning system in spaces that differ from open-plan office spaces. Considering the studied building presents different activities on each of its floors it was necessary to choose two of them, one characterized by classrooms layout and the other by a semi open-plan office layout. The on-site data collection took place in three different steps. Step one was distinguished by three six-month cycles of air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity measurements, and fungi, particulate matter and carbon dioxide concentrations. The second step consisted of a four-day single campaign of measurements, when air temperature and relative humidity profiles were carried out, air velocity was quantified in complaining areas, and the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) thermal comfort indexes were determined. During the third and last step, indoor environmental quality questionnaire surveys were distributed to the occupants of both studied floors. Data analysis and assessment originated from the cycles identified exceeding fungi and carbon dioxide concentrations. Temperature profiles indicated their prevalence below the recommended range. PMV and PPD indexes determination pointed to a scenery of best thermal environmental conditions for the researched spaces, with an operative temperature of 24 Celsius degrees. The results of the questionnaire surveys supported the air temperature measurements, showing supremacy of cold related thermal sensations among the occupants, especially those of female gender. It was evident that the thermal comfort of the studied environments is a disturbing factor for the activities practiced on both floors. There was a great number of occupants reporting Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) typical symptoms, what suggested actions related to indoor environmental quality should be taken in order to provide the desired health, welfare and productivity for the building occupants. It was conclusive that the operation and maintenance of underfloor air conditioned systems in indoor environments unlike open-plan offices are more complex and therefore make it harder to reach an acceptable indoor environmental quality.