Comparison of strategies to improve indoor air quality at the pre-occupancy stage in new apartment buildings

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 320 - 328
• Main Authors: Kim, Sun-Sook, Kang, Dong-Hwa, Choi, Dong-Hee, Yeo, Myoung-Souk, Kim, Kwang-Woo
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Air cleaning; Applied sciences; Building technical equipments; Buildings; Buildings. Public works; Decomposing agents; Environmental engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Indoor air quality; Photocatalytic oxidation; Pollution indoor buildings; Ventilation; Ventilation. Air conditioning; Volatile organic compounds; Asia; Korea; Korea, Rep; Volatile organic compounds; Ventilation; Air cleaning; Decomposing agents; Photocatalytic oxidation; Indoor air quality; Air conditioning; Air treatment; International conference; Photocatalysis; Air quality; Volatile organic compound; Apartment; Experimental study; Ventilation: Air cleaning: Decomposing agents; New building; Indoor pollution; Gas cleaner; Oxidation; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.03.026

Indoor air quality of new apartment buildings, which is known to cause Sick Housing Syndrome, has become a major concern among apartment residents as well as construction companies in Korea. Recently, the Indoor Air Quality Management Act, a regulation that limits concentration levels of formaldehyde and five volatile organic compounds in new apartment buildings, has been implemented. In this study, the effects of ventilation and decomposing agents were investigated and compared, which could be used at the pre-occupancy stage as solutions to high VOCs concentration levels in new apartment buildings. Six housing units were investigated under different conditions to assess the extent of the improvement in indoor air quality. The results demonstrate that ventilation is an effective way to control indoor air pollution caused by VOCs emissions, and the effect of decomposing agents on improving indoor air quality depends on the types of VOCs.