This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Chan, D. W.T. Articles by Tung, T. C.W. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Using Rn-222 to Manage the Air Quality of Air Conditioned Buildings in Hong Kong

Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong, Bedaniel{at}PolyU.edu.hk

C.S. Wong

Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong

Thomas C.W. Tung

Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong

This paper proposes a pragmatic methodology to manage the air quality of an air conditioned building as well as optimizing energy consumption during venting. Radon-222 (Rn-222) is used as a tracer to quantify the specific production rates and resultant losses of pollutants for which the information is important in indoor air quality management. A term, indoor pollutant inventory, is introduced for easy handling of various indoor pollutants. The specific production rate (_j) of pollutant-j is the production rate of a pollutant normalized by the control volume of sampled room. The resultant loss (L _j)_RL of pollutant-j is defined as the sum of its natural decay (_j), reaction loss (R_j), and ventilation loss (q/v). Rn-222 and total volatile organic compounds are used to verify the methodology. In the verification tests, the air conditioned system of an office was scheduled to shut down overnight and return to supply mode in the next morning. The build-up and decay of the pollutants were measured and used to quantify (_j) and (L_j)_RL. The values of (_j) and (L_j)_RL obtained from the pollutants at two different modes mutually agreed with each other. The mean specific production rates of Rn-222 and TVOC were 20.7 Bq·m ^-3·h^-1 and 2.0 mg·m^-3·h^-1 respectively, while the lump sum of chemical and natural losses of these pollutants were 0.0076 h^-1 and 0.0226h^-1, respectively. Concentrations of the pollutants at various air change rates were also simulated in the study.

Key Words: Indoor air quality • emission • ventilation • indoor • pollution inventory

Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 17, No. 5, 467-471 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X08095916


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?