A Correlation Study of Indoor Air Quality and Outdoor Environment to Understand an Effective Office Building Ventilation
[Thesis developed in collaboration with Hilson Moran]
Indoor air pollution has been a growing issue and is one of the top most urgent risks in the health sector, especially now that we are experiencing a global pandemic. It is the most common cause of health and comfort problems in the office due to inadequate indoor air quality (IAQ) design considerations. In this study, the IAQ of the Hilson Moran office in Manchester from 2018 to 2021 is analysed where temperature, relative humidity, air pollutants, air pressure, and virus index is monitored and through statistical analysis, these were analysed as to how it reacts to certain room conditions, and their relationship to each pollutant. The study reveals that PM2.5, O3, CO2, and NO2, as well as virus index, should be closely monitored in the office, as each are highly correlated with the other. Furthermore, the months where outdoor air is mostly polluted were compared to the indoor air concentration, and revealed that there is a significant effect on the indoor environment.
