• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    A study of indoor particle concentrations of less than 10[mu]m in Wellington office buildings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Building Technology at Massey University

    Icon
    View/Open Full Text
    01_front.pdf (1.894Mb)
    02_whole.pdf (17.81Mb)
    Export to EndNote
    Abstract
    Indoor air pollution can have significant effects on the health of people. Indoor pollutants can exceed outdoor concentrations by 2-5 times, and occasionally more than 100 times. This is significant not only because of occupational indoor exposures, but because in general people spend over 90% of time indoors. Particles are one indoor pollutant that has been linked as a causal factor of the Sick Building Syndrome. Particles can be noxious substances or have noxious substances adsorbed on to them. Of most concern are particles that penetrate to the gas exchange region of the human body as clearance times are often in excess of months. This study explores the relationship between particle concentrations measured indoors and outdoors and the affect of occupant activity on indoor particle concentrations. Particle concentrations were measured indoors and outdoors of four office buildings in Wellington. Indoor particle concentrations as a function of occupancy were assessed and the presence of occupants was shown to increase particle concentrations indoors for the size bands of 5μm and 3μm on a working day. Particles below 1μm were shown to generally behave independent of occupant activity. The concentrations of particles generated during a working day decreased over a period of no occupancy due to deposition and the air exchange rate of the building for the larger size bands of 5μm and 3μm. However below 1μm the pattern of a reduction in particles was not apparent. Overall there was no statistically significant vertical gradient of particles between 1.2m and 1.8m for the particle sizes of 5μm, 3μm, 1μm, 0.5μm, and 0.3μm. Standard filter media were shown to be effective at reducing particle sizes of 5μm and 3μm and less effective with particles below the 1μm range. The operation of the air handling unit over a weekend period resulted in a reduction of the number of fine particles (1μm, 0.5μm, 0.3μm) in the indoor space. The stack effect and its influence on particle transportation throughout the four buildings studied was inconclusive with several factors capable of confounding the collected data. Overall, the results of the study were consistent with other researchers' findings in relation to occupant influence on particle concentrations and filtering efficiency of standard media. Factors that may confound the assessment of the influence of the stack effect on particle concentrations need to be carefully monitored in future studies.
    Date
    2001
    Author
    Cleaver, Katie
    Rights
    The Author
    Publisher
    Massey University
    Description
    Page 113 missing from original.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10179/11413
    Collections
    • Theses and Dissertations
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2023.7-7
     

     

    Information PagesContent PolicyDepositing content to MROCopyright and Access InformationDeposit LicenseDeposit License SummaryTheses FAQFile FormatsDoctoral Thesis Deposit

    Browse

    All of MROCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2023.7-7