Evaluation of Different Natural Ventilation Strategies by Monitoring the Indoor Air Quality Using CO 2 Sensors

Ana Sánchez-Fernández, Eloína Coll-Aliaga, Victoria Lerma-Arce () and Edgar Lorenzo-Sáez
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Ana Sánchez-Fernández: ITACA Research Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Eloína Coll-Aliaga: ITACA Research Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Victoria Lerma-Arce: ITACA Research Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Edgar Lorenzo-Sáez: ITACA Research Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Indoor air quality is a characteristic that depends on air pollutants inside a building and that can be affected by different ventilation strategies. There is strong evidence linking poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and harmful health effects, especially on vulnerable collectives, such as children in schools. Due to this concern, this work aims to provide guidance on the design of highly efficient ventilation strategies to improve the air quality of schools’ classrooms. For this, IAQ monitoring has been carried out in eight educational in real conditions centres using CO 2 concentration as an IAQ indicator. Variables such as the presence of students and their number, activity developed in the classroom and ventilation strategy used together with break time duration have been also recorded to analyse their influence on CO 2 concentration levels. Concluding results have allowed us to determine the maximum number of students allowed in a closed room to maintain CO 2 levels at normal concentrations and the time needed to reduce these CO 2 levels depending on the ventilation strategy adopted. Moreover, it has been discussed how surrounding school conditions (pollution or noise) and the building isolation are impacting the final IAQ in the classrooms studied.

Keywords: CO 2; ventilation strategies; monitoring; indoor air quality; pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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