VENTILATION &

INDOOR AIR
QUALITY
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
● Successful students should be able to:
● Define ventilation
● Describe the types of ventilation systems
● Discuss Indoor Air Quality and control
of indoor air pollutants

2
VENTILATION
❖ Ventilation ~ concerns air movement

❖ Ventilation used to supply an adequate

amount of O2 and to prevent the build-up of
contaminants

❖ Exhaust systems classified

➢ General (dilution) Ventilation
➢ Local Exhaust Ventilation
EXHAUST SYSTEMS
I. GENERAL (DILUTION) VENTILATION
❖ Add or remove air from work areas to keep the
concentration of an air contaminant below
hazardous levels
❖ Also used to maintain a comfortable working
environment
❖ Use natural convection through
• Open doors/ window
• Roof ventilators and chimneys
• Air movement produced by fans or blowers
EXHAUST SYSTEMS
❖ Only use general ventilation when:

▪ Small quantities of air contaminants are

released into the workroom at fairly uniform
rates
▪ There is sufficient distance between worker and
contaminant source
▪ Only contaminants of low toxicity are being
used
▪ No need to collect or filter the contaminants
before the exhaust air is discharged into
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)

❖ LEV is intended to capture an emitted contaminant

at or near its source

❖ There are 5 basic components

➢ Hood
➢ Ducting
➢ Air cleaner
➢ Fan
➢ Stack
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
a) Hood
❖ Purpose ~ to control emission where contaminants are either
captured retained/ received by flowing air currents
❖ The hood constitutes the MOST important part of the system
❖ A poor hood design may result in
▪ contaminant not being trapped by the hood
▪ Large airflow or other airflow resistance ~ increase the operating
cost of the system
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)

a) Hood
➢ Types of hood

Enclosure Capture
Hood Hood
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
a) Hood
➢ Types of hood

Downdraft Hood
Receive Hood
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
b) Ducting

❖ All components of local exhaust ventilation

(LEV) are connected by a ducting system

❖ The purpose of ducting system ~

▪ To carry air and entrained contaminants away
from the hood for treatment disposal
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)

b) Ductin
g
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
c) Air cleaner
❖ Air-cleaning devices capture and remove airborne contaminants
from air that has been drawn from the workplace.
❖ Various types of device are used, depending on whether the
contaminant is a dust, fume, mist, gas or vapour.
❖ The main types are fabric filters, charcoal filters, cyclones,
electrostatic precipitators and scrubbers.
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)

d) Fan
❖ Supply the needed static pressure and they physically move air
❖ Fan blade moving through air like a paddle wheel, pushing air
forward
❖ Also creates a positives static pressure on the forward side of
the blade & negative static pressure on the back side of the
blade
LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)

e) Stack
❖ Stack is part of the ductwork but has the jobs of dispersing
contaminants to the ambient air & reducing their reintroduction
to the plant environment
INDOOR AIR
QUALITY
INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ)
❖ Reports of IAQ levels may be 25 to 100 times higher than
outdoor levels (EPA).

❖ Concern as most people spend app. 90% of their time

indoors (EPA).

❖ Indoor air pollution has been ranked one of the top

environmental risks to public health (EPA).
SOURCES OF POOR IAQ
❖ Sources of poor IAQ are from different origins:
❖ The occupant themselves (CO2)
❖ Inadequate materials or materials with
technical defects
❖ Work performed within
❖ Excessive or improper use of normal
products
❖ Combustion gases
❖ Cross contamination from other poorly
ventilated zones.
IAQ’s PARAMETER
❖ Parameters to indicate whether an indoor
environment is healthy and comfortable:
❖ Chemical contaminants such as CO2,
CO, formaldehyde and ETS
❖ Physical conditions such as temperature,
velocity, humidity
❖ Biological agents such as mites, spores,
mold
❖ Radiation such as radon.
HEALTH EFFECTS
❖ Health effects due to poor IAQ:
❖ Health effects due to environmental
tobacco smoke (ETS) – carcinogen and
risk of coronary heart disease
❖ Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
❖ Building Related Illnesses (BRI) –
asthma, pneumonitis, humidifier fever
❖ Legionnaire’s Disease
SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
❖ Situation in which building occupants experience acute
health and/or comfort effects that appear to be linked to
time spent in particular building, but where no specific
illness or cause can be identified.
❖ Buildings that inadequately ventilated.

❖ Symptoms varied – eye and nose irritation, fatigue, cough,

rhinitis, nausea, headache, sore-throat or combination of
these.
LEGIONNAIRE’S DISEASE
❖ Cause by legionella pneumophilia that grow in any
environmental reservoir in which its nutrient, water and
temperature are met.
❖ Usually affected water-cooling towers and warm water
system in buildings.
❖ Form of bacterial pneumonia that is characterized by
fever, chills and dry cough associated with muscle aches
and occasional diarrhea.
 RECOGNITION, EVALUATION,
AND CONTROL OF INDOOR AIR
POLLUTANTS
MOLD
❖ Fungal growth that forms and spreads on
various kinds of damp or decaying organic
matter.
❖ Molds can grow on any substance including
wood, paper, carpet, and foods providing
moisture is present.
❖ Caused by excess moisture in building
(dampness).
❖ Reproduce by releasing tiny spores that float
through the air until landing in other locations.
MOLD
❖ Health problems associated with mold:
❖ Allergic to pollen – sneezing, nose and
throat irritation, watery eyes.
❖ Hypersensitivity pneumonitis – shortness
breath, cough, muscle aches, fever.
❖ Asthma – shortness of breath, cough,
chest tightness and wheezing.
CONTROL OF MOLD
• The key to mold • Fix leaky plumbing.
control is moisture • Clean and dry water
control. damaged area within
24-48 hours.
• Replace water
damaged insulation or
ceiling tiles.
• Reduce indoor humidity
to 30-60% using air
conditioners and
dehumidifiers
COMBUSTION
POLLUTANTS
 RECOGNITION OF COMBUSTION
POLLUTANTS
❖ Any heating appliance that burns fuel can introduce a
combustion pollutant into the indoor environment if not
properly vented. Other sources include engine exhaust or
burning, welding, and soldering activities.

❖ Combustion pollutants include carbon monoxide, carbon

dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulates.

❖ Nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and particulates can cause

irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Symptoms typically
disappear when leaving the polluted area.
RECOGNITION OF COMBUSTION
POLLUTANTS

❖ Carbon monoxide, an odorless gas, can be fatal.

❖ Carbon dioxide is a non-toxic gas that is released

during combustion and is used in a variety of
processes such as carbonating beverages.
❖ Carbon dioxide is exhaled during normal
respiration so levels of this gas are commonly
used in indoor air studies to evaluate the
adequacy of fresh air in an occupied area.
EVALUATION OF
COMBUSTION POLLUTANTS
CO ELECTRONIC MONITORS
RECOGNITION OF
INHALABLE PARTICULATE

PARTICULATE MATTER
(PM2.5 & PM10)
▪ Air monitoring tool
▪ Displays real-time readings
▪ The flowrate set at 1.7 liters
per minute (L/min), using 90°
light scattering
CONTROL OF
COMBUSTION POLLUTANTS

▪ Keep all combustion equipment well-maintained

and have trained professionals conduct annual
inspections of the flues, chimneys, and other
working parts.

▪ Ensure combustion equipment has been properly

installed and is being used for its intended
purpose.
VOLATILE ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS (VOCs)
RECOGNITION OF VOCs

▪ Many common ▪ Furniture cleaners

cleaning and ▪ Wood preservatives
household products ▪ Carpet shampoos
contain solvents that
▪ Disinfectants
can result in airborne
▪ Cleansers
concentration of a
variety of VOCs that ▪ Paint/Paint strippers
can cause problems for ▪ Moth repellants
some people. ▪ Hobby supplies
TOP 10 VOCs
MEASURED IN OFFICE BUILDINGS

▪ Toluene ▪ Benzene
▪ Acetone ▪ Ethanol
▪ n-Hexane ▪ 2-Propanol
▪ 1,1,1-Trichloroethane ▪ Dichlorodifluoro-meth
▪ Chloromethane ane
▪ m- and p-Xylenes
CONTROL OF VOCs
❖ Use only for the intended purpose and according to
manufacturer’s instructions.
❖ Do not prepare “extra strength” batches by diluting
improperly.
❖ Use in well-ventilated areas.
❖ Choose products that are packaged to reduce spills,
leaks, and child tampering.
❖ Keep in original container so directions and safety
information are available.
BUILDING COMFORT
CONTROL
BUILDING COMFORT
PARAMETERS
• Temperature When building comfort
parameters are not
• Relative Humidity
properly controlled,
• Lighting they can cause
• Ventilation symptoms that can be
confused with poor air
quality.
BUILDING COMFORT
PARAMETERS
MONITOR OF AIR
VELOCITY & PRESSURE
▪ VelociCalc Plus
Multi-Parameter Ventilation
Meters
▪ To measure air velocity
and pressure.
BUILDING COMFORT
PARAMETERS

MONITOR OF IAQ
PARAMETER
▪ Q-Trak IAQ Monitor

▪ To measure temperature,
relative humidity, CO2, and
CO.
THANK YOU
 References
REFERENCES:

Reese, C.D. (2003). Occupational Health and Safety Management: A

Practical Approach, New York, Lewis
Goetsh, D.L. (2004). Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists,
Engineers and Managers. (5th edition), Upper Saddle Rover NJ,
Prentice Hall
O’Donnell, P&M.P.H (2001). Health Promotion in the Workplace (3rd
edition), New York, Delmar Learning.