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Atmosphere
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Indoor Air Quality Control
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Indoor Air Quality Control

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 September 2024) | Viewed by 5188

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ilona Pavlovska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Riga Stradiņš University, Ratsupites Street 5, LV-1069 Riga, Latvia
Interests: occupational health and safety; occupational risk assessment; indoor air quality; radon gas; material characteristics; nanocomposites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most of our time is spent indoors. A better quality of life, a decreased chance of respiratory infections, and a lower risk of developing numerous chronic illnesses can all be attributed to the availability of clean, healthy air to breathe.

The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) has grown considerably in recent years due to an increasing recognition of its effects on people's well-being and health. This is becoming increasingly relevant as climate change influences air humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pollution. The inadequacy or absence of air filtration and exchange systems (ventilation) in buildings makes the problem even worse. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a well-known term to describe IAQ’s impact on building residents’ health and well-being, causing unspecific symptoms such as headaches; mental fatigue; nose, throat and eye irritation; the sensation of dry mucous membranes; dry itching and red skin; nausea; and dizziness. Nowadays, SBS is experiencing a new boom because of climate change, increasing ambient air pollution, inefficient building management, etc.

One of the latest trends in IAQ control involves the integration of smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These sensors are capable of continuous monitoring of air quality parameters such as particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. They provide real-time data that can be accessed remotely, allowing homeowners and facility managers to make informed decisions about the essentiality of ventilation and filtration systems. Furthermore, AI-driven algorithms can suggest preventive measures, making IAQ control more proactive.

Innovations in IAQ control have also been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In many public spaces, high-efficiency air filtration systems with HEPA filters and UV germicidal irradiation have become the norm.

Sustainable building designs are increasingly integrating natural ventilation, green roofs, and materials with low emissions to further enhance IAQ while reducing the environmental impact.

In summation, IAQ control is undergoing a transformation driven by smart sensors and sustainability practices. Innovations contribute to the creation of a healthy atmosphere both inside and outside, but work still must be done to improve their energy efficiency, ecologically sustainable manufacturing, usage, and disposal and make indoor spaces not only healthier but also more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

Dr. Ilona Pavlovska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • indoor air quality (IAQ)
  • indoor environmental quality
  • indoor air pollutants
  • volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • particulate matter (PM)
  • effect of outdoor pollution on IAQ
  • continuous IAQ monitoring
  • green buildings
  • sick building syndrome

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2109 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Indoor Air Quality in Classrooms Using Low-Cost Sensors: Does the Perception of Teachers Match Reality?
by Nuno Canha, Carolina Correia, Sergio Mendez, Carla A. Gamelas and Miguel Felizardo
Atmosphere 2024, 15(12), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15121450 - 1 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1181
Abstract
This study intended to understand whether teachers’ perceptions of indoor air quality (IAQ) during classes aligned with the real levels of air pollutants and comfort parameters. For this purpose, an IAQ monitoring survey based on low-cost sensors using a multi-parameter approach was carried [...] Read more.
This study intended to understand whether teachers’ perceptions of indoor air quality (IAQ) during classes aligned with the real levels of air pollutants and comfort parameters. For this purpose, an IAQ monitoring survey based on low-cost sensors using a multi-parameter approach was carried out in nine classrooms (a total of 171 monitored classes) in a Portuguese school. In each monitored class, the perception of IAQ reported by the teacher was assessed using a scale from 1 (very bad IAQ) to 10 (very good IAQ). Several exceedances regarding national legislation were found, with temperature being the parameter with a higher percentage of exceedance in all the studied classrooms (46%), followed by PM10 (32%), and then CO2 (27%). Temperature was found to be the only environmental parameter that was significantly associated with lower IAQ perception reported by the teachers, highlighting that typical pollutants such as CO2 (which can be identified as stuffy air) did not contribute to the teachers’ perceptions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality Control)
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17 pages, 3966 KiB  
Article
Pilot Study on the Production of Negative Oxygen Ions Based on Lower Voltage Ionization Method and Application in Air Purification
by Haotian Weng, Yaozhong Zhang, Xiaolu Huang, Xuan Liu, Yunhui Tang, Hewei Yuan, Yang Xu, Kun Li and Yafei Zhang
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070860 - 20 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1474
Abstract
In the current highly industrialized living environment, air quality has become an increasing public health concern. Natural environments like forests have excellent air quality due to high concentrations of negative oxygen ions originating from low-voltage ionization, without harmful ozone. Traditional negative oxygen ion [...] Read more.
In the current highly industrialized living environment, air quality has become an increasing public health concern. Natural environments like forests have excellent air quality due to high concentrations of negative oxygen ions originating from low-voltage ionization, without harmful ozone. Traditional negative oxygen ion generators require high voltage for corona discharge to produce ions. However, high voltage can increase electron collisions and excitations, leading to more dissociation and recombination of oxygen molecules and consequently higher ozone production. To address the challenge of generating negative oxygen ions without accompanying ozone production, this study designed and constructed a low-voltage negative oxygen ion generator based on nanometer-tip carbon fiber electrodes. The advantage of this device lies in the high curvature radius of carbon fibers, which provides high local electric field strength. This allows for efficient production of negative oxygen ions at low operating voltages without generating ozone. Experiments demonstrated that the device can efficiently generate negative oxygen ions at a working voltage as low as 2.16 kV, 28% lower than the lowest voltage reported in similar studies. The purification device manufactured in this study had a total decay constant for PM2.5 purification of 0.8967 min−1 within five minutes, compared to a natural decay constant of only 0.0438 min−1, resulting in a calculated Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 0.1535 m3/min. Within half an hour, concentrations of PM2.5, PM1, PM10, formaldehyde, and TVOC were reduced by 99.09%, 99.40%, 99.37%, 94.39%, and 99.35%, respectively, demonstrating good decay constants and CADR. These findings confirm its effectiveness in improving indoor air quality, highlighting its significant application value in air purification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality Control)
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12 pages, 2100 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Indoor Radon Gas Concentration in Latvian Households
by Jeļena Reste, Nadīna Rīmere, Andris Romans, Žanna Martinsone, Inese Mārtiņsone, Ivars Vanadziņš and Ilona Pavlovska
Atmosphere 2024, 15(5), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15050611 - 18 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1536
Abstract
Exposure to radon gas in households presents serious health risks, including an increased likelihood of lung cancer. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in individual habits has led to more time spent in indoor environments with remote activities; thus, the need to raise [...] Read more.
Exposure to radon gas in households presents serious health risks, including an increased likelihood of lung cancer. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in individual habits has led to more time spent in indoor environments with remote activities; thus, the need to raise the awareness of air quality in dwellings and to mitigate the exposure of inhabitants to radon has emerged. This study investigated radon gas concentrations in the air of Latvian dwellings. RadTrack2 passive detectors were deployed in a representative sample of households across 106 municipalities of Latvia (98% of the territory), yielding data from 487 households (973 detectors). The data revealed a median radon concentration of 52 Bq/m3 (Q1 and Q3 were 29 and 93 Bq/m3), with the majority of samples (95.6%) falling below the national reference limit of 200 Bq/m3. The building type and presence of a cellar significantly impacted radon levels, with structures lacking cellars and older buildings exhibiting higher concentrations. Mechanical ventilation proved to be more effective in reducing radon levels, compared to natural ventilation. These findings emphasize the necessity of proactive measures to mitigate indoor radon exposure and to ensure the well-being of occupants. Additionally, the dissemination of research data on radon exposure through open-access scientific publications is vital for raising awareness and implementing effective mitigation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indoor Air Quality Control)
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