Evaluation of IAQ Management Using an IoT-Based Indoor Garden

Abstract

This study was designed to verify the effectiveness of smart gardens by improving indoor air quality (IAQ) through the installation of an indoor garden with sensor-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology that identifies pollutants such as particulate matter. In addition, the study aims to introduce indoor gardens for customized indoor air cleaning using the data and IoT technology. New apartments completed in 2016 were selected and divided into four households with indoor gardens installed and four households without indoor gardens. Real-time data and data on PM2.5, CO2, temperature, and humidity were collected through an IoT-based IAQ monitoring system. In addition, in order to examine the effects on the health of occupants, the results were analyzed based on epidemiological data, prevalence data, current maintenance, and recommendation criteria, and were presented and evaluated as indices. The indices were classified into a comfort index, which reflects the temperature and humidity, an IAQ index, which reflects PM2.5 and CO2, and an IAQ composite index. The IAQ index was divided into five grades from “good” to “hazardous”. Using a scale of 1 to 100 points, it was determined as follows: “good (0–20)”, “moderate (21–40)”, “unhealthy for sensitive group (41–60)”, “bad (61–80)”, “hazardous (81–100)”. It showed an increase in the “good” section after installing the indoor garden, and the “bad” section decreased. Additionally, the comfort index was classified into five grades from “very comfortable” to “very uncomfortable”. In the comfort index, the “uncomfortable” section decreased, and the “comfortable” section increased after the indoor garden was installed.

Filling the Health Gap in Energy Performance Certificates to Reduce Pulmonary Diseases Due to Bad Indoor Air Quality

“…Piasecki and Kostyrko [93] developed a method based on a decision matrix that includes six attributes: actual indoor air CO 2 concentration, TVOCs, and formaldehyde concentration, and their anthropogenic and construction product emissions to the indoor environment with a combined weighting scheme for an IAQ index equation. Kim et al [94] suggested an IAQ index which reflects PM 2.5 and CO 2 , divided into five grades from "good" to "hazardous" with a scale of 1 to 100 points, as follows: "good" (0-20); "moderate" (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40); "unhealthy for a sensitive group" (41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60), "bad" (61-80), and "hazardous" (81)(82)(83)…”

A systematic review of building systems and technologies to mitigate the spread of airborne viruses

“…IoT-based indoor gardens: There has been extensive research to monitor IAQ through IoT and wireless sensors network (WSN) (Caquilpán P. et al , 2019; Kannaki et al , 2020; Pantazaras et al , 2018; Parkinson et al , 2019; Singla et al , 2018). However, a recent study has used smart gardens and IoT technology to clean and purify IAQ (Kim et al , 2020). In this study, the effectiveness of indoor gardens was measured and compared to buildings with no indoor gardens using smart technologies.…”

“…In this study, the effectiveness of indoor gardens was measured and compared to buildings with no indoor gardens using smart technologies. The results showed that the installation of an indoor garden reduced the amount of PM and CO 2 in the indoor environment (Kim et al , 2020).…”

A review of strategies and their effectiveness in reducing indoor airborne transmission and improving indoor air quality

“…The author accessed the required air exchange rates for mechanical and naturally ventilated schools in order to minimize the airborne spread of the virus ( Stabile et al, 2021 ). Management of IAQ using an IoT-based indoor garden was evaluated by Kim et al (2020) . An IoT-based IAQ monitoring system was used to collect real-time data on PM 2.5 , CO 2 , temperature, and humidity in the study.…”