Investigation of outdoor air pollutant, PM2.5 affecting the indoor air quality in a high-rise building

Nuodi Fu, Moon Keun Kim*, Bing Chen, Stephen Sharples

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality in a high-rise building, considering factors related to the seasons and air infiltration. Further, the impact of atmospheric weather conditions on air infiltration has been analysed in a downtown area of Suzhou, China. The influence of the outdoor air pollution rate on indoor air quality in the office building was investigated based on on-site measurements and computer simulations. Results showed that the impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality was highest in winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. Furthermore, multiple factors, which affect the indoor air quality in a high-rise building, have been further investigated in this study, including stack effect, wind effect, infiltration rate, outdoor air pollution rate, seasonal change and air filter efficiency. The significant influence of these factors on the indoor air quality level with floor height variations has been verified. Based on the analysis, a high-efficiency filter is recommended to maintain healthy indoor air quality. Meanwhile, a double-filter system is required if a building is exposed to heavily polluted outdoor air considering the most substantial impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality in winter. Moreover, a numerical model of steady-state indoor PM2.5 concentration was established to determine the suitable air filter efficiency and airtightness.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)895-912
Number of pages18
JournalIndoor and Built Environment
Volume31
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Keywords

  • Air filter efficiency
  • High-rise building
  • Indoor air quality
  • Infiltration
  • Outdoor air pollution
  • Stack and wind effect

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