MEBS6010 -Indoor Air Quality

Chapter 2 –Concentration and

Exposure
Yuguo Li

Built Environment Group

Department of Mechanical
Engineering
The University of Hong Kong

1
Topics: Introduction to IAQ
 Basic concepts of indoor air quality
(IAQ), significance of IAQ, SBS BRI,
 Type of pollutants, concentration,
particle concentration,
 Basic ventilation methods, threshold
limit values (TLVs)

2
Spengler et al., Indoor air quality handbook, 2000
3
Hourly PM10 distribution in a high-rise
office building in Hong Kong

45

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

40

35
Concentration (10 g/m )
3

30
-6

25

20

15

10

0
10:00 16:00 22:00 4:00 10:00 16:00 22:00 4:00 10:00
Time (Hour)

Measurement by Natalie Tsang, 2001 4

 HK IAQ Objectives for Offices & Public Places
八小時平均值
參數 單位 8-hour Average
Parameter Unit 卓越級 良好級
Excellent Class Good Class
室內溫度 oC 20 – < 25.5 < 25.5
Room Temperature
相對濕度 % 40 – < 70 < 70
Relative Humidity
空氣流動速度 m /s < 0.2 < 0.3
Air Movement
二氧化碳 ppmv < 800 < 1,000
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
一氧化碳
µg /m3 < 2,000 < 10,000
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
可吸入懸浮粒子 µg /m3 < 20 < 180
Respirable Suspended Particulates
二氧化氮
(PM10)
µg /m3 < 40 < 150
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
臭氧
µg /m3 < 50 < 120
Ozone (O3)
甲醛
µg /m3 < 30 < 100,
Formaldehyde (HCHO)
總揮發性有機化合物
Total Volatile Organic Compounds µg /m3 < 200 < 600
(TVOC)
氡氣 Bq /m3 < 150 < 200
Radon (Rn)
空氣中細菌 cfu /m3 < 500 < 1,000
Airborne Bacteria 5
Lecture 2: Concentration and exposure

2.1 Concept of concentration

2.2 Effect of Filtration Devices in a
Room
2.3 Body Burden

6
Spengler et al., Indoor air quality handbook, 2000
7
Topics: Introduction to concentration
 Mass balance equation
 Concept of mixing, air change per hour,
decay equation
 Filtration efficiency, room cleaning
efficiency
 Exposure and dose-response curves

8
2.1 The concept of concentration
Concentration of a pollutant is defined as the amount of the pollutant existing per
unit volume or unit mass of air.

The word “concentration” is used for either density Cg (kg/m3, commonly g/m3) or
volume fraction or concentration Cgv (m3/m3, commonly used one is ppmv, parts per
million in volume) or mass concentration Cgm (kg/kg, or usually mg/kg)

The ppm can refer to either

mass of the gas of concern

1 ppmm  , which is actually mg/kg. For example, 300
mass of the air  10 6

ppmm is 300 mg/kg.

volume of the gas of concern
1 ppmv  , which is actually ml/m 3
, i.e. mililiter of gas
volume of the air  10 6

of concern per cubic meter of air.

In general, ppm refers to the ppmv.

9
The mass and volume concentration of a gas can be converted back and forth if the
densities of the gas, and the air are known at the given conditions (temperature and
pressure, generally at the standard conditions, 20oC and 101,315 Pa).

a
Cgv  Cgm
g
Where C gv is in ppmv, C gm is in ppmm or mg/kg, and both densities of air and the
gas are in kg/m3 respectively.

10
To convert the density of gases or vapour Cg (mg/m3), and ppmv, the following
equation can be used,

Cg (in mg/m 3air)  Cgv (in ppmv)   g (in kg/m 3 )

Alternatively, when the molar weight of the gas, M, is known, we have

M
C g (in mg/m 3air)  C gv (in ppmv) 
24.5
where 24.5 is the molar volume of air, in litre per mole, under the standard
atmospheric conditions (20oC and 101,325 Pa).

Example 1. The carbon dioxide concentration is the ground-level atmosphere is 350

ppmv. The densities of air and carbon dioxide are 1.2 and 1.82 kg/m3 respectively.
What is the carbon dioxide concentration in ppmm and in mg/m3 of air?

Cg (in mg/m 3air)  Cgv (in ppmv)   g (in kg/m 3 )  350 1.82  637 (mg/m3 air)
g 1.82
Cgm  Cgv  350 =530.8 (mg/kg air)
a 1.2

11
Pollutant Molecular Weight ppm at 1 g/m3 3
g/m at 1 ppm
CO 28.01 8.588E-04 1164.4
CO2 44.01 5.466E-04 1829.5
HCHO 30.03 8.011E-04 1248.3
NO2 46.1 5.218E-04 1916.4
O3 48 5.012E-04 1995.4
TVOC 56.1 4.288E-04 2332.1

12
 HK IAQ Objectives for Offices & Public Places
八小時平均值
參數 單位 8-hour Average
Parameter Unit 卓越級 良好級
Excellent Class Good Class
室內溫度 oC 20 – < 25.5 < 25.5
Room Temperature
相對濕度 % 40 – < 70 < 70
Relative Humidity
空氣流動速度 m /s < 0.2 < 0.3
Air Movement
二氧化碳 < 800 < 1,000
ppmv
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) =1.5g/m3 =1.8g/m3
一氧化碳 < 2,000 < 10,000
µg /m3
Carbon Monoxide (CO) =1.76ppm =8.6ppm
可吸入懸浮粒子 µg /m3 < 20 < 180
Respirable Suspended Particulates
二氧化氮
(PM10) < 40 < 150
µg /m3
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) = 0.02ppm =0.078ppm
臭氧
µg /m3 < 50 < 120
Ozone (O3)
甲醛
µg /m3 < 30 < 100,
Formaldehyde (HCHO)
總揮發性有機化合物
Total Volatile Organic Compounds µg /m3 < 200 < 600
(TVOC)
氡氣 Bq /m3 < 150 < 200
Radon (Rn)
空氣中細菌 cfu /m3 < 500 < 1,000 13
Airborne Bacteria
 d  
 cdV    A  dA
c v (1)
dt V

In a scalar form,
 
A cv  dA   A cvcos  dA (2)

We have
d
 cdV  c1v1 A1  c 2 v2 A2 (3)
dt V
n 
If c is constant within the control volume V, V

d (cV )
 c1v1 A1  c2 v 2 A2 (4)
dt

Due to the continuity or air mass balance, we have

v1 A1  v 2 A2  q (5)

we have

V
dc
dt

 q co  c  (7) 14
Define

q
n (air changes per second) (9)
V

The equation of ventilation becomes

 nco  c 
dc
(10)
dt

Solution:

 
c  co 1  e  nt  c I e nt (11)

where cI is the initial concentration at time t =0.

15
Ventilation and SBS
Sundell et al. (1994)
Odds Ratio of SBS-symptoms
4
x

3 x

xx
x
2 x
x
x
x x x x
x x x x x
x

x x
1 x x

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Outdoor air flow rate, L/s,p
Jan Sundel
Ventilation and sick leave
Milton et al. (2000)
% sick leave
2.5
(P<0.05)
2

35% lower
1.5

0.5

0
12 24
Ventilation rate (L/s per person)
 Before 1900: After 1900: After 1990:
Miasma Influenza pandemic 1918-1919 Sick building syndrome
Lavoisier 1774 O2 Carrier 1919 “manufactured US Indoor Air Act of 1991
Lavoisier 1775 CO2 weather” Eurovent 2002
Polluted cities Paris and Fanger thermal comfort SARS epidemics 2003
London, late 18th and 19th Energy crisis 1973 WorldVent 2006
century

Old Health period Comfort period New Health period

30
Bilings
1895 Disease
25
Ventilation Rate (L/s)

EuroVent
2002
WorldVent
20 ASHVE
2007
1914
15 Bilings
1895 Comfort ASHRAE
Yaglou
10 Flugge 1936 1973 ASHRAE
1905 1989/2004
5
ASA ASHRAE
1946 1981
0
1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2025
Year
18
Example 1 A lecturer works late in his office and leaves his office at 10:00 pm. By the time he
leaves, no mechanical ventilation is provided to his office. Assuming that the infiltration rate is
constant, 5 litre per second. The CO2 concentration is 1000 ppm at 10:00 pm. What will be the
CO2 concentration in his office when he returns at 8:00 am in the next morning? We assume that
outdoor air CO2 concentration is 350 ppm. The volume of the room is 36 m3.

Note: ppm – parts per million (volume fraction)

Solution:

The governing equation for concentration:

 nco  c 
dc
(12)
dt

Its solution is

 
c  co 1  e  nt  c I e  nt (13)

where cI is the initial concentration at time t =0.

Time t(hour) q = 5 l /s q = 20 l /s
10 pm 0 1000 ppm 1000 ppm
11 pm 1 744 ppm 438 ppm
12 pm 2 589 ppm 362 ppm
01 am 3 495 ppm 352 ppm
02 am 4 437 ppm 350 ppm
03 am 5 403 ppm 350 ppm
04 am 6 382 ppm 350 ppm
05 am 7 370 ppm 350 ppm
06 am 8 362 ppm 350 ppm
07 am 9 357 ppm 350 ppm
08 am 10 354 ppm 350 ppm 19
Example 1 A lecturer works late in his office and leaves his office at 10:00 pm. By the time he
leaves, no mechanical ventilation is provided to his office. Assuming that the infiltration rate is
constant, 5 litre per second. The CO2 concentration is 1000 ppm at 10:00 pm. What will be the
CO2 concentration in his office when he returns at 8:00 am in the next morning? We assume that
outdoor air CO2 concentration is 350 ppm. The volume of the room is 36 m3.

Note: ppm – parts per million (volume fraction)

Solution:

The governing equation for concentration:

 nco  c 
dc
(12)
dt

Its solution is

 
c  co 1  e  nt  c I e  nt (13)

where cI is the initial concentration at time t =0.

Time t(hour) q = 5 l /s q = 20 l /s
10 pm 0 1000 ppm 1000 ppm
11 pm 1 744 ppm 438 ppm
12 pm 2 589 ppm 362 ppm
01 am 3 495 ppm 352 ppm
02 am 4 437 ppm 350 ppm
03 am 5 403 ppm 350 ppm
04 am 6 382 ppm 350 ppm
05 am 7 370 ppm 350 ppm
06 am 8 362 ppm 350 ppm
07 am 9 357 ppm 350 ppm
08 am 10 354 ppm 350 ppm 20
Concentration decay in this room for
different flow rates
1000
Concentration (ppm)

900
n=0.5 (q = 5 l/s)
800 n=1 (q = 10 l/s)
700 n=2 (q = 20 l/s)

600 n=4 (q = 40 l/s)

500
400
300
0 5 10 15
Time (Hr)
21
Example 2. For a room with an air change rate of 1 ACH, calculate the time required for
changing the room air with outside air by 99.9%?

Solution: The governing equation becomes

n
 h co  c 
dc
(13)
dt 3600

We refer the room air at time t =1 as the “old air”’ and the outside fresh air as the “new air”.

With this notation, at time t = 0, the concentration c of “old air” in the room is 100%. For the
quantity co in equation (13), we can set co =0.

We have

nh
 t
c  cI e 3600 (14)

If c = 0.001, i.e. the concentration of old air in the room is 0.1%, which means that the air was
replaced by new air 99.99%.

ln0.001  6.9  3600 s = 6.9 hrs

3600
t 99.9%   (15)
nh

22
Example 2. For a room with an air change rate of 1 ACH, calculate the time required for
changing the room air with outside air by 99.9%?

Solution: The governing equation becomes

n
 h co  c 
dc
(13)
dt 3600

We refer the room air at time t =1 as the “old air”’ and the outside fresh air as the “new air”.

With this notation, at time t = 0, the concentration c of “old air” in the room is 100%. For the
quantity co in equation (13), we can set co =0.

We have

nh
 t
c  cI e 3600 (14)

If c = 0.001, i.e. the concentration of old air in the room is 0.1%, which means that the air was
replaced by new air 99.99%.

ln0.001  6.9  3600 s = 6.9 hrs

3600
t 99.9%   (15)
nh

23
Concentration decay as a function of
air change per hour

1.2
Concentration decay

n=1
1
n=2
0.8 n=3
n=6
0.6 n=12
n=24
0.4

0.2

0
0 20 40 60 80
time (min) 24
When there is a pollutant source in the room,

V
dc
dt
 
 q co  c  V pol (16)

V – volume of space (m3)

c – volumetric concentration (%)
q - fresh air supply (m3/s)
co – supply air concentration (%)
V pol - volumetric amount of contaminant generated in the room (m3/s)

The solution to equation (16) is as follows:

 
c  co  cG  1  e  nt  c I e  nt (18)

where

V pol
cG 
q

25
Example 3. If the CO2 production rate of a person at an activity level of 1.2 met is 0.005 litre/s,
what outdoor air flow rate q per occupant is needed at this activity level if the CO2 concentration
is not to exceed 1000 ppm? Consider that the outdoor concentration is 350 ppm?

Solution. At steady state, we have

 
q co  c  V pol  0 (17)
V pol
q

co  c 
Thus,
V pol 0.005  10  3
q   7.7  10  3 m3/s=7.7 l/s
co  c  (1000  350)  10  6

26
Example 3. If the CO2 production rate of a person at an activity level of 1.2 met is 0.005 litre/s,
what outdoor air flow rate q per occupant is needed at this activity level if the CO2 concentration
is not to exceed 1000 ppm? Consider that the outdoor concentration is 350 ppm?

Solution. At steady state, we have

 
q co  c  V pol  0 (17)
V pol
q

co  c 
Thus,
V pol 0.005  10  3
q   7.7  10  3 m3/s=7.7 l/s
co  c  (1000  350)  10  6

27
We consider the same lecture theatre (20 m long, 15 m wide and 3 m
high) with 49 students and one teacher continuously occupying it
between 9:30 am and 11:30 am. The CO2 generation rate from each
person is 0.005 l/s, while the outdoor CO2 concentration is 350 ppm.
The infiltration rate is neglected, while the mechanical ventilation rate
is 250 l/s over the 2-hour period. It can be assumed that the CO2
concentration is uniform in the lecture theatre being considered. The
indoor CO2 concentration at 9:30 am is the same as the outdoor CO2
concentration.

(c1) Calculate average CO2 concentration (ppm) in the lecture theatre

at 10:00 am and 11:30 am respectively.
(c2) Discuss the likely indoor air quality condition in this lecture
theatre.

28
Answer

(c1) The total ventilation rate is 250 l/s.

The air change rate is 250×0.001×3600/(20×15×3) = 1 air change per

hour
The generation concentration = 0.005×50 ×106/250 = 1000 ppm
 
c  c0  cG  1  e  nt  c I e  nt
At 9:30 am
c = (350+1000) × (1-exp(-1×1))+350×exp(-1×1)= 982.1 ppm
At 10:30 am
c = (350+1000) × (1-exp(-1×2))+350×exp(-1×2)= 1214.7 ppm

(c2) 5

The concentration in the classroom towards the end of the two hour
lecture is above 1000 ppm, which does no satisfy he basic ASHRAE
standard requirement or Hong Kong IAQ requirement. The ventilation
rate for each person is not reasonable, i.e. 5 l/s/person, less than the
ASHRAE standard of 10 l/s per person, or 7.5 l/s per person in class
rooms. Thus the IAQ condition in the room is not acceptable when the
number of students is 49.

29
Measurement of amount of supplied ventilation air

 The absolute amount of inflow air per

unit time (litre per second or l/s,
cubic meter per hour, or m3/hr) –
refers to as ventilation rate
 In an office, 10 l/s per person

 The relative amount of inflow air per

unit time (air change per hour or
ACH) – refers to air change rate
 In an isolation room, we need 12 ACH

 What are the differences and when

we use it?
30
 The decay rate of concentration n=q/V
q, Co
 G
 
C  Co   1  e nt  CI e nt
 q G C
For one-off release,

 nt q, C
C  CI e 1.2

Concentration decay
n=1
1
n=2
Factors affecting n=3
0.8
concentration decay n=6
0.6 n=12
 The air change rate, which is
n=24
ventilation flow rate divided by 0.4
the room volume
0.2

0
 Ventilation rate determines the
0 20 40 60 80
amount of pollutant removed,
time (min)
and the remaining amount of
pollutant divided by volume, i.e.
concentration
31
Decay of droplet nuclei concentration in an isolation room
for different ventilation rates and duration of time
Ventilation rate 6 ACH 9 ACH 12 ACH 15 ACH 18 ACH 21 ACH 24 ACH
Time (minutes)
0 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

5 60.65% 47.24% 36.79% 28.65% 22.31% 17.38% 13.53%

10 36.79% 22.31% 13.53% 8.21% 4.98% 3.02% 1.83%

15 22.31% 10.54% 4.98% 2.35% 1.11% 0.52% 0.25%

20 13.53% 4.98% 1.83% 0.67% 0.25% 0.09% 0.03%

25 8.21% 2.35% 0.67% 0.19% 0.06% 0.02% 0.00%

30 4.98% 1.11% 0.25% 0.06% 0.01% 0.00% 0.00%

35 3.02% 0.52% 0.09% 0.02% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

40 1.83% 0.25% 0.03% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

45 1.11% 0.12% 0.01% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

50 0.67% 0.06% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

60 0.25% 0.01% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

32
 For constant release,
The exposure level
 G
 
G
C  Co   1  e nt  CI e nt C  Co 
 q q

Factors affecting exposure level

 Determined by the source strength and ventilation
rate
 Not a function of room volume
 This is obvious as it is the return air that takes away
pollutants generated indoors

33
Large space Small space

 We all like to have a

spacious room  We all hate to have a very
small room

 A large ACH also  Even a large ACH can

means a large mean a small ventilation
ventilation rate. rate.

 A large ventilation rate  A small ventilation rate

means a lower means a high exposure
exposure level level

 Less air to breathe – feel

 More air to breathe – bad
feel good

34
The size of a room matters

 Air change rate (ACH) tells about

how fast concentration decays in a
room

 Ventilation rate (m3/s) tells about

the exposure level in a room

 Current CDC standards only

specifies ACH, not ventilation rate.

35
Air flows in buildings
Gravity current

Supply jet
Buoyancy flow
around a person
Thermal plume

Boundary
Layer flow

Potential
exhaust flow
36
Svenson, 1998 37
Svenson, 1998 38
39
40
2.2 Effect of Filtration Devices in a
Room
 How a filtration device “works”?

The amount of pollutant filtered (eliminated)


q f c

Filtration device
qf

41
The balance equation becomes
V
dc
dt
 
 q co  c  V pol  q f c (22)
or
V
dc
dt
 
 q  q f c  V pol  qco (23)
The equation can be again solved, we define
qf
nf  (24)
V
Then
 V pol  qco 
c  1  e  n n f t   c e  n n f t (25)
 q  q f     I
 

q
Filtration device
qf

q
Concentration is c
42
Example 4. Still consider a lecturer office at HKU. Assume a day with air pollution index API
=100 with high respirable suspended particulates (RSP) outdoor concentration, say 180 g/m3.
Assume that no particles generated in the office, neglect the particle deposition effects. With a
natural ventilation flow rate 20 l/s through windows, calculate the concentration of RSP in the
office at steady state condition, which should give an indication of the performance of a particle
filter? We consider an electrostatic filter with a filtration efficiency of 99.97%, and the filter can
treat an air flow rate of 5 l/s

Solution:

V pol  0 at steady state

 qco  1 1
c  co   180 g/m3 = 144 g/m3
q  qf  q 5
  1 f  1  0.9997
q 20

q
Filtration device
qf

q
Concentration is c
43
Example 4. Still consider a lecturer office at HKU. Assume a day with air pollution index API
=100 with high respirable suspended particulates (RSP) outdoor concentration, say 180 g/m3.
Assume that no particles generated in the office, neglect the particle deposition effects. With a
natural ventilation flow rate 20 l/s through windows, calculate the concentration of RSP in the
office at steady state condition, which should give an indication of the performance of a particle
filter? We consider an electrostatic filter with a filtration efficiency of 99.97%, and the filter can
treat an air flow rate of 5 l/s

Solution:

V pol  0 at steady state

 qco  1 1
c  co   180 g/m3 = 144 g/m3
q  qf  q 5
  1 f  1  0.9997
q 20

q
Filtration device
qf

q
Concentration is c
44
Example 5. For a classroom with a ventilation flow rate of 500 L/s.
We intend to install portable air cleaners to reduce the pollutant
emission from the room by at least 50%, which is equivalent to
achieving a 50% or higher room air cleaning efficiency. A portable
air cleaner can filter with a filtration efficiency of 85%, and the
filter can treat an air flow rate of 200 L/s. How many such cleaners
are needed?

Solution

c nf  c qf  
r     50%
c nf q  qf  q

qf
q 500
As  = 85%, =85/50-.85=0.85, hence ???? = = 588 L/s.
qf .85

We need 3 air cleaners.

45
On what ground that we determine
how much outdoor ventilation air is
needed in a building?

46 of 44 slides
 Before 1900: After 1900: After 1990:
Miasma Influenza pandemic 1918-1919 Sick building syndrome
Lavoisier 1774 O2 Carrier 1919 “manufactured US Indoor Air Act of
Lavoisier 1775 CO2 weather” 1991
Polluted cities Paris and Fanger thermal comfort Eurovent 2002
London, late 18th and Energy crisis 1973 SARS epidemics 2003
19th century WorldVent 2006

Health period Comfort period Health perio

30
Bilings
1895 Disease
25
Ventilation Rate (L/s)

EuroVent
2002
WorldVent
20 2007
ASHVE
1914
15 Bilings
1895 Comfort ASHRAE
Yaglou
10 1936 1973 ASHRAE
Flugge
1905 1989/2004
5
ASA ASHRAE
1946 1981
0
1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2025
Year
48 of 44 slides
Yaglou, 1937
49 of 44 slides
Yaglou, 1955
The tug of war phenomenon between
energy saving and IAQ

I want I want to
better IAQ use less
energy

I have so much
for my building,
the less cost
the better！

50 of 44 slides
Janssen (1999) reviewed the historical
records of ventilation rate determination,
and noted two schools of thought with
respect to ventilation in the last several
centuries, i.e.

providing comfort and freedom from odours

and airborne pollutants as concerned by
architects and engineers, and

minimizing the spread of disease as

concerned by physicians.

51 `
Were the existing or previous ASHRAE
ventilation standards developed based on
health requirements?

 For it. Wheeler (1999) suggested that ASHRAE’s

ventilation standard “was directed toward the
health and well-being (a term that can embrace
comfort) of building occupants”.

 Against it. Sundell (2004) suggested that the

“during the last century, health issues have
generally not been involved in reflections about
the need for ventilation; instead, perceived air
quality has been the measure”. Ventilation was
treated as an issue of comfort, perceived air
quality or sensory load of pollution sources, but
not health in general.
52 `
2.3 The Body Burden

 The concept of Body Burden (BB) is what is the

total amount of pollutant being left in the body.

 Local instant exposure level with that a person

comes in contact is the local concentration.
Twenty-four-hour exposure, or weekly
exposure even yearly total exposure, is an
integrated “average” exposure, considering the
duration of the contact at each “location”.

 Dose refers to that amount of chemical

contaminant which crosses a boundary of the
body and reaches the site of toxic action.
53
 Pollutants are
inhaled and lodges
in the lungs

Concentration profile

Where the pollutants

end up in the
respiratory system?

54
Gehr and Heyder: Particle-Lung Interactions, Marcel Dekker, 2000
55
Gehr and Heyder: Particle-Lung Interactions, Marcel Dekker, 2000
56
The concept of Body Burden (BB)

BB = A + S – L – T (26)

The average exposure level E is defined as

1 T
E  c(t )dt (27)
T 0
For pollutants received through respiratory route, if the absorption rate is 100%, the dose is
defined as

D  E  V (g) (28)

E is the “averaged” integrated exposure level as defined earlier, (g/m3), V is the total air volume
that the person breathed during a defined period (m3).

57
For example, Fugas (1975) was the first to compute integrated exposure. The following example
is extracted from Fugas (1975).

Type of Hours per SO2 Pb

Exposure week c (g/m3) ct c (g/m3) ct
(g.hr/m3) (g.hr/m3)
Home 110 89 9790 2.5 275
Work 42 8 336 0.3 12.6
Street 1 10 600 6000 6.0 60
Street 2 4 180 720 3.5 14
Countryside 2 25 50 0.1 0.2
Total 118 16896 361.8
Average 101 2.2
weekly
exposure
(g/m3)

58
Example 5: Calculate the formaldehyde dose for an autopsy instructor and a textile worker with
the following data per year.

Home Work Outdoor

Duration Concen. Duration Concen. Duration Concen.
(hr) (ppm) (hr) (ppm) (hr) (ppm)
Instructor 5475 0.6 1000 12 2285 0.004
Worker 5475 0.6 2000 4 1285 0.004

E Autopsy instructor   ct  5475  0.6  1000  12  2285  0.004

=3285 + 12000 + 9.14 = 15294 ppm.hr

ETextile worker   ct  5475  0.6  2000  4  1285  0.004

=3285 + 8000 + 5 = 11290 ppm.hr

It was suggested that the formaldehyde is quantitatively absorbed in the turbulent air stream in
the nasal passage where it dissolves in mucus. Thus, it is assumed that all formaldehyde is
absorbed. Thus, the dose becomes (assumes the breathing rate is 1 m3/hr).

Dautopsy instructor = 15294 ppm.hr 1 m3/hr = 0.0153 m3 of formaldehyde,

which is about 18.352 g.

Dtextile worker = 11290 ppm.hr 1 m3/hr = 0.0113 m3 of formaldehyde,

which is about 13.548 g.

(For formaldehyde, 1ppm  1200 g/m3)

59
Figure 2. Illustration of three possible relationships between
exposure and the health effect at very low levels of exposure.

60
Difficult issues

 How important are the issues of indoor air

quality as compared to other issues?

 How to prove/disprove that IAQ really

matters to our health?

 What are the main issues of IAQ in Hong

Kong? Where we should spend our
resources to improve our indoor air
environments?

61
 62
ftp://ftp.arb.ca.gov/carbis/research/seminars/marshall/marshall.pdf
 63
ftp://ftp.arb.ca.gov/carbis/research/seminars/marshall/marshall.pdf
64
65
66
67
Prof. Fanger’s approach

68
Prof. Fanger

69
Prof. Fanger

70
Prof. Fanger
71
 Teaching Schedule 2015-2016
Second Semester: Thursdays, 7:00 - 9:30 pm (2.5 hours), Venue: CBA

Ref. Date Topics Lecturer(s)

A01 21-Jan-2015 General concepts Yuguo Li
A02 28-Jan-2015 Concentration Yuguo Li
A03 04-Feb-2015 Case study for IAQ management [1/2] CH Liu
11-Feb-2015 Within CNY HKU class suspension period
A04 18-Feb-2015 Sources and sinks Yuguo Li
A05 25-Feb-2015 Particle size number and distribution Yuguo Li
A06 03-Mar-2015 Diffusion deposition and filtra tion (In-course assessment , 10 Yuguo Li
marks)
10-Mar-2015 Reading week Yuguo Li
A07 17-Mar-2015 Respiratory infection Yuguo Li
A08 24-Mar-2015 Ventilation Yuguo Li
A09 31-Mar-2015 Indoor and outdoor linkage Yuguo Li
A10 07-Apr-2015 Case study for IAQ management [2/2] CH Liu
A11 14-Apr-2015 Instrumentation and measurement mechanism CH Liu
A12 21-Apr-2015 Measurement and management Yuguo Li
A13 28-Apr-2015 Review and summary Yuguo Li/CH Liu

YG Li 10 ×2.5=25 hr (3/4), 3 exam questions, 25 marks each

CH Liu 3 ×2.5=7.5 hr (1/4), 1 exam question, 25 marks

Exam questions – 4 questions, 25 marks each.

In-course assessment: 20% (10 for real in-course assessment, 1 hr, 10 for homework, all given by Yuguo Li)
Final exam: 80% 72
Topics: Introduction to concentration
 Mass balance equation
 Concept of mixing, air change per hour,
decay equation
 Filtration efficiency, room cleaning
efficiency
 Exposure and dose-response curves

73