The Effect of indoor and outdoor particle sources on indoor air quality of a new multilevel office building in the vicinity of a busway

Indoor air quality is very important for office workers’ exposure levels. There is a large body of literature showing that pollutants in indoor air have an effect on health (Sundell, 2008), with cardiovascular and respiratory disorders often linked to particle exposure. Other responses, such as damage to the central nervous system by ultrafine particles (UFP), have also been suggested. Both indoor and outdoor particle sources can affect indoor particle concentration levels, however these effects could be influenced by variety conditions and may be building-specific. This study investigated indoor and outdoor (I/O) particle concentration levels and diurnal variations, as well as the effect of indoor and outdoor particle sources on indoor air quality in a new four level office building, with an elevated busway in close proximity (about 10 m) to the air intake of the building’s ventilation system. Further to this, size dependent filtration efficiencies for two of the existing HVAC systems were also tested