Estimation of Outdoor PM 2.5 Infiltration into Multifamily Homes Depending on Building Characteristics Using Regression Models

Bo Ram Park, Ye Seul Eom, Dong Hee Choi and Dong Hwa Kang
Additional contact information
Bo Ram Park: Department of Architectural Engineering, Graduate School, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
Ye Seul Eom: Department of Architectural Engineering, Graduate School, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
Dong Hee Choi: Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Kyungil University, Gyeongsan 38428, Korea
Dong Hwa Kang: Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Urban Sciences, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outdoor PM 2.5 infiltration into multifamily homes according to the building characteristics using regression models. Field test results from 23 multifamily homes were analyzed to investigate the infiltration factor and building characteristics including floor area, volume, outer surface area, building age, and airtightness. Correlation and regression analysis were then conducted to identify the building factor that is most strongly associated with the infiltration of outdoor PM 2.5 . The field tests revealed that the average PM 2.5 infiltration factor was 0.71 (±0.19). The correlation analysis of the building characteristics and PM 2.5 infiltration factor revealed that building airtightness metrics (ACH 50 , ELA/FA, and NL) had a statistically significant ( p < 0.05) positive correlation ( r = 0.70, 0.69, and 0.68, respectively) with the infiltration factor. Following the correlation analysis, a regression model for predicting PM 2.5 infiltration based on the ACH 50 airtightness index was proposed. The study confirmed that the outdoor-origin PM 2.5 concentration in sufficiently leaky units could be up to 1.59 times higher than that in airtight units.

Keywords: PM 2.5 infiltration; infiltration factor; multifamily homes; blower door test; regression model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/10/5708/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/10/5708/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:10:p:5708-:d:557948

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().