Investigating the factors affecting indoor air quality of office buildings in Colombo city_a case study

Abstract

The wellbeing, comfort, and satisfaction of office occupants are all influenced by the indoor air quality (IAQ). As such, it is important to maintain good IAQ in offices. However, several studies say that Sri Lankans have a limited understanding of IAQ. As a result, the aim of this research is to identify the factors that influence IAQ. Through this study, it is also expected to gain a better understanding of indoor air pollutants, recognize issues related to low IAQ, and determine ways to improve IAQ based on in situ levels of indoor air pollutants. Following a walk through inspection, in situ measurements of IAQ were carried out in selected office spaces in Colombo, Sri Lanka, based on the findings of the literature review. Temperature (T), Relative Humidity (RH), Particulate Matters (PM2.5 and PM10), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC) were selected as the IAQ parameters. In addition, an experiment was conducted in a real office environment to measure TVOC concentrations in the presence of air fresheners and incense smoke. Due to inadequate ventilation, the worst case of IAQ was found in office spaces which have no proper ventilation system. As a result, mechanical ventilation is appropriate to improve the IAQ of office spaces when natural ventilation is not possible. The key factors affecting IAQ in the selected office buildings of this study were identified as the location of the building, occupancy related activities, office equipment, and ventilation and air-conditioning system. To improve and maintain good IAQ levels in a country, it is essential to have IAQ guidelines. However, it has been found that IAQ guidelines are not available in Sri Lanka. Conducting research on IAQ is essential for developing the country's IAQ guidelines