Ce travail a consisté à analyser et de simuler à l’aide du modèle INCA-Indoor la qualité de l’air intérieur, et de développer une nouvelle méthodologie pour étudier les contributions des différents processus aux concentrations de polluants. Cette nouvelle méthodologie se base sur un nouveau programme de sensibilité INCA-Indoor-D, permet d’identifier rapidement les paramètres les plus sensibles qui peuvent influencer la qualité de l’air intérieur. Le modèle INCA-Indoor a été validé expérimentalement en utilisant les données mesurées lors de la campagne MERMAID (2014-2015). L’application du programme de sensibilité INCA-Indoor-D est pour analyser des sensibilité des concentrations de OH par rapport aux divers paramètres. Une classification de l’importance de ces paramètres en fonction de la sensibilité a ainsi été effectuée. Ce travail de thèse offre une nouvelle analyse de la pollution de l’air ainsi que de nouvelles perspectives d’études possibles dans un bâtiment basse consommation. / This study consisted in the study of indoor air quality with INCA-Indoor model, and especially the development of a fast methodology to identify the most sensitive parameters influencing indoor air quality. The methodology is based on a sensitivity program INCA-Indoor-D, which was built to identify the most important parameters affecting pollutant concentrations. With measurement data from MERMAID (2014-2015), it is intended to continue to evaluate the INCA-Indoor model, which was used to analyze the indoor air quality of a low energy building. The first application of the sensitivity program INCA-Indoor-D is performed to develop a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of indoor [OH] with respect to diverse parameters. Sensitivity has been settled with a classification of the parameters. The results in this study provide useful information about roles of different processes controlling indoor air quality and the effects of different parameters on indoor pollutant concentrations.

Mold is a type of fungus present in nearly all environments. Mold thrives under several environmental parameters such as high humidity and an adequate food source. A professional, such as an industrial hygienist, can measure mold in indoor and outdoor environments. Industrial hygienists commonly use a cascade impactor with a culture plate to capture air within a sampling area. While collecting air samples, environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide are recorded. A laboratory then cultures and analyzes the samples, identifying the types and amounts of viable mold found in the sampling area. In this study, a data analysis method is used to interpret lab results and compare those results to the environmental parameters measured during collection. The study aims to show the relationship between the environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide) and the types and amounts of mold that were measured in both indoor built environments and their surrounding outdoor areas. Among all 170 different sampling locations, the outdoor areas had higher counts and concentrations of mold. In addition, both indoor and outdoor areas saw Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium as the most prevalent molds, with Cladosporium having the highest counts. Lower temperatures and humidity had a very small influence on mold growth and thus, yielded the lowest counts. Furthermore, the highest concentrations of mold were found within the same temperature and humidity ranges for both indoor and outdoor environments.

Indoor air quality is a growing concern in the world. People spend a considerable amount of time in indoor environments such as homes, workplaces, shopping malls, stores, and so on. Indoor sources like incense and candle burning, cooking contribute a significant amount of indoor air pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds. Exposure to these kinds of pollutants can result in adverse health effects. The purpose of this research is to determine the particulate matter and carbon monoxide emission factors (EFs) from incense stick burning. A test chamber with a rectangular exhaust duct, a fan to exhaust air with pollutants in it, and pollutant sensors were used to achieve the project goals. Several experiments were performed with different cases/scenarios to accurately estimate the EFs and several test runs were conducted for each case to test the repeatability of the results. The CO, PM2.5 (mass), PM2.5 (number), PM10 (mass), PM10 (number) EFs developed in this research are between 110-120 mg/g of incense, 2.5-3 mg/g of incense, 800-1100 #particles/µg of incense, 32-33 mg/g of incense, 1200-1400 #particles/µg of incense respectively.

The link between a good indoor climate and environmental impacts e.g. global warming and different pollution in the air is something that are important today and will certainly become more important in the future with increased energy prices and new laws. Too keep the indoor air quality within limits is it important to have a good and competitive ventilationsystem. The ventilations function is mainly to supply fresh air and to remove polluted air from the room. It’s important that the ventilation system works as it should so that the indoor air quality is as good as possible. The lack of good ventilation can create several symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, poor concentration etc. In Sweden are ventilation control mandatory for every newly produced building and this control are repetitive usually every 3-6 years for some types of buildings.   The foundation of this thesis is from a previous degree project performed by a master’s student in 2013 named Ander Barroeta with supervision of Magnus Mattsson and Taghi Karimipanah. The thesis was to improve and design a ventilation system in two rooms at a training facility named Friskis & Svettis in Gävle so that the CO2 level did not exceed 1000 ppm.   In this thesis was the main goal to do similar measurements as the previous thesis and compare the results to see what difference air balancing has done to the ventilation system. Field measurements were performed at the training facility were the focus was on carbon dioxide but also on other parameters such as temperature, humidity and air velocity so that air exchange rate could be calculated. With these parameters can evaluations be made to see if air balancing of the ventilation system made any difference in indoor air quality.       During measurements in one of the training rooms where spinning is exercised was carbon dioxide levels up to 3300 ppm measured which is above the recommended indoor limit at 1000 ppm. If that room should be design to not exceed 1000 ppm must the air exchange rate increase from 6.3 h-1 to 35.1 h-1.

With increasing knowledge about the indoor climate in recent years, preventive methods to avoid health problems caused by deficient building performance may become preferable to reactive methods. Benefits from preventive actions have been suggested for late building design phases, construction, and building operations, however, few data are available that demonstrate the benefits of preventive actions in early planning phases. In a case study, expected building performance in respect to indoor air quality and thermal conditions in a large judicial facility in North America was evaluated retrospectively at the end of the schematic design and substantial completion phases. A process for evaluation of building performance at schematic design is developed from existing procedures for building diagnostics in operating buildings. Criteria for evaluation of expected building environmental quality at schematic design as available from standards and guidelines are presented. The results of the study show that building diagnostics at schematic design can be an effective mean of prevention of occupant health problems. Further findings indicate that the assurance of indoor environmental quality can be improved, if the criteria for expected building performance are defined and complied with from early on. It is concluded that implementation of building diagnostics in early project phases can reduce the likelihood of adverse health effects in operating buildings. / Master of Science

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The purpose of this study was to perform an indoor air quality (IAQ) investigation at the Center for Applied Reproductive Science (CARS) to assess whether VOCs exist at levels dangerous to embryo. Formaldehyde, n-hexane, benzene, and styrene concentrations were measured at six locations. Formaldehyde concentrations were comparable to office and residential indoor air. N-hexane, benzene, and styrene were not detected. In addition, acetaldehyde, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol were detected. IAQ parameters (carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, pressure, and particulates) were measured at 22 sites monthly for one year. Temperature and humidity readings were within Environmental Protection Agency recommendations. Particulate concentrations were below Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Pressure readings indicated the facility was under a negative pressure. Carbon dioxide concentrations exceeded recommendations established by American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Recommendations include assessing air intakes to assure dampers are adjusted to allow 15 ft3/min/person of fresh air established by ASHRAE.

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