The Effect of Students, Computers, and Air Purifiers on Classroom Air Quality

Abstract

Indoor air pollutant sources are crucial in assessing IAQ, especially when outdoor air pollutant concentrations are low. In the present study, PM mass concentrations in a range of five sizes; CO, CO2, O3, NO, NO2, and TVOC concentrations; along with temperature and relative humidity were monitored in three indoor locations of a university. The monitoring took place in a building dedicated to teaching undergraduates. The first two locations, a professor’s office and a computer centre (laboratory), were not refurbished. The classroom under study is refurbished and now is airtight, as are all of the classrooms in this building. Air purifiers were installed in all of the classrooms to prevent the transmission of infectious pollutants. In all monitored locations, people were the main indoor source of PM, CO2, and TVOC. The operation of twelve computers in the small laboratory did not contribute to the air pollution, at least for the examined pollutants. The air purifier decreased the PM concentrations, but not the gaseous air pollutants.

Keywords

• indoor air pollution
• higher education classrooms
• emissions from electronic devices
• air purifiers