Estimation and analysis of ventilation rates in schools in Indian context: IAQ and Indoor Environmental Quality

Abstract

The prolonged exposure to indoor air pollution may affect the health, comfort and performance of the occupants. Failing to address Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems may lead to short-term and long-term health problems. The health effects may vary for different individuals depending on factors like age and medical conditions, children being young and sensitive to the environment, are more susceptible to the same. The primary focus of this research is to estimate the ventilation rates in schools in Ahmedabad by using carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaled by the occupants, using steady state mass balance method. The air flow in the naturally ventilated classrooms was between 61.5 l/s per person to 15.6 l/s per person. The air flow in air-conditioned classrooms was 0.9 l/s per person and 1.0 l/s per person. The air flow in naturally ventilated classrooms are excessively high, more than meeting prescribed rates, while air flow in air-conditioned classrooms is far below the prescribed outdoor air rate per person as provided in ASHRAE 62.1: 2016 [1] and in the Bureau of Indian Standards [2].