Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Learning Environments from Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

Abstract

In today's modern society, people spend much of their time in closed spaces (at home, at work, at school etc.), the quality of the air inside these spaces being very important for the occupants' health. This study monitored the indoor air quality in classrooms, seminar and office rooms, within the Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering from Cluj-Napoca and outside the building (the inner courtyard). Two air sampling campaigns were carried out, one during the cold period (March 2019), and the other during the warm period (April 2019). The monitored substances were: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM 10 ), formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) as well as the temperature and relative humidity of the studied rooms, respectively the outside courtyard, using BQ16 and BQ30 Trotec equipment's. The average values for CO 2 concentration exceeded the recommended 1,000 ppmv ASHRAE standard value, especially after a period when the rooms were not ventilated and the number of people inside increased. Concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were below the recommended ASHRAE standard value, of 25 µg/m 3 for PM 2.5 and 50 µg/m 3 for PM 10 , so indoor air quality is not inappropriate for this reason. Formaldehyde and TVOC concentrations measured in the monitored rooms, did not exceeded the recommended standard values. Their concentrations were lower outside than inside, so it can be considered that their source was an internal one and their concentrations increased as the number of people in the room increases. In the seminar room the CDI (Chronic Daily Intake) value for formaldehyde has the value 0.052 mg/kg·day, slightly exceeding the recommended value by U.S.EPA (1989), of 0.045 mg/kg·day.

Assessment of indoor and outdoor formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and particulate matter (PM2.5, and PM10) levels in Kalasin, Thailand

“…Exposure to these pollutants can be reduced through actions including regular air exchange (Aslam, Javed, & Reyaz, 2020), the use of low-emission materials, and efficient exhaust systems (Vardoulakis et al, 2020). Additionally, traffic emissions may be to blame for the slightly elevated PM2.5 levels at the road station, highlighting the need of putting in place traffic control measures and encouraging environmentally friendly transportation alternatives (Martonoş, Matei, & Roşu, 2020). To educate the local population about the potential health dangers linked to air pollution, awareness campaigns and public education programs are essential.…”

Development of a Portable and Modular Gas Generator: Application to Formaldehyde Analysis

“…Nowadays, people spend 70-90% of their time in enclosed spaces, especially at home, where indoor air can be more or less polluted [1][2][3][4][5]. The regular use of multiple synthetic products in homes, whether for construction, renovation, or cleaning, causes the release of many various chemical compounds into the air.…”

On-Line Gaseous Formaldehyde Detection Based on a Closed-Microfluidic-Circuit Analysis

“…While most scientific studies in the past century were focused on the quality of outdoor air, the quality of indoor air is nowadays the subject of growing interest in the scientific community, such as attests the numerous studies of the two last decades [1][2][3][4][5]. Indoor air contains a multitude of pollutants, but some of these pollutants attract more attention because of their occurrence, their high levels, and their harmful effects on health.…”