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Characterization of Indoor Air Quality on a College Campus: A Pilot Study

Author

Listed:
  • Grant Erlandson

    (Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Sheryl Magzamen

    (Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Ellison Carter

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Julia L. Sharp

    (Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Stephen J. Reynolds

    (Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Joshua W. Schaeffer

    (Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

Abstract

Recent construction trends on college campuses have demonstrated a shift to designing buildings with features focused on sustainability. However, few studies have investigated indoor air quality in institutions of higher education, particularly in sustainably designed buildings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of building and occupancy on indoor air quality within and between higher education buildings. We measured particulate matter, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in LEED certified, retrofitted, and conventional building types on a college campus. Three size fractions of particulate matter were measured in each building. We conducted multi-zonal, 48-h measurements when the buildings were occupied and unoccupied. Outdoor particulate matter was significantly higher (PM2.5 = 4.76, PM4 = 17.1, and PM100 = 21.6 µg/m 3 ) than in classrooms (PM2.5 = 1.7, PM4 = 4.2, and PM100 = 6.7 µg/m 3 ) and common areas (PM2.5 = 1.3, PM4 = 4.2, and PM100 = 4.8 µg/m 3 ; all p < 0.001). Additionally, concentrations of carbon dioxide and particulate matter were significantly higher ( p < 0.05) during occupied sampling. The results suggest that occupancy status and building zone are major predictors of indoor air quality in campus buildings, which can, in turn, increase the concentration of contaminants, potentially impacting occupant health and performance. More research is warranted to reveal building features and human behaviors contributing to indoor exposures.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant Erlandson & Sheryl Magzamen & Ellison Carter & Julia L. Sharp & Stephen J. Reynolds & Joshua W. Schaeffer, 2019. "Characterization of Indoor Air Quality on a College Campus: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:15:p:2721-:d:253056
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    Cited by:

    1. Riccardo Boiocchi & Marco Ragazzi & Vincenzo Torretta & Elena Cristina Rada, 2023. "Critical Analysis of the GreenMetric World University Ranking System: The Issue of Comparability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-15, January.

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