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Indoor Environmental Science & Engineering

Indoor Environmental Science & Engineering. Richard Corsi, Kerry Kinney, Jeffrey Siegel, Atila Novoselac, Ying Xu. When did indoor air quality problems begin?. Situation Persists in Developing World.

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Indoor Environmental Science & Engineering

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  1. Indoor Environmental Science & Engineering Richard Corsi, Kerry Kinney, Jeffrey Siegel, Atila Novoselac, Ying Xu

  2. When did indoor air quality problems begin?

  3. Situation Persists in Developing World • ½ world’s population (> 3 B) relies on coal and biomass for domestic energy, and number is increasing! • Simple stoves • Incomplete combustion • Often not vented • 2 – 2.8 million deaths/year • 4% of global mortality • 1 million childhood deaths/year • Women: 2/3 w/ lung cancer are non-smokers!

  4. Indoor Air Quality in U.S. - Evolution 800 square feet4 bedroom / 1 bath = $6,900 Levittown, New York (1948) • Start = End of World War II

  5. Demand for Ease of Life • Wall-to-wall carpet • Cleaners • Air fresheners • Pesticides • Personal care products • Much more

  6. Air Conditioning Residential and Commercial 32.1% Industrial Transportation 28.5% 39.4% Total Primary Energy Consumption - 2007 • 1953: < 5% in US with AC (window) • Today: > 80% in US with AC > 50% central AC • Open + Fan Close + AC ~ 21% residential ~ 18% commercial

  7. Americans = Indoor Creatures • Indoors 89% • 2/3 of time in home • Transit 6% • Outdoors 5% • 18 hours indoors for every 1 outdoors

  8. USEPA Risk Rankings 1. (tie) Worker exposure to chemicals 1. (tie) Indoor radon 3. Pesticide residue on foods 4. (tie) Indoor air pollutants (non-radon) 4. (tie) Consumer exposure to chemicals (includes cleaning fluids, etc.) 6. Hazardous/toxic air pollutants 7. Depletion of stratospheric ozone 8. Hazardous waste sites (inactive) 9. Drinking water (radon and THMs) 10. Application of pesticides 16 others .. (including groundwater contamination at 21, criteria air pollutants at 22, etc.)

  9. Faculty and Specific Expertise in Indoor Environmental Research Complementary Research Unique Program Ying Xu • Emission Richard Corsi Kerry Kinney • Gases • Microorganisms Jeffrey Siegel Atila Novoselac • Particles • Modeling Neil Crain • Chemistry

  10. Features of Our Program • Diverse curriculum • Interdisciplinary student community • NSF-funded IGERT program • IGERT trainees and affiliates • State-of-the art laboratories and test house

  11. Siegel Team Research Themes • Primary and secondary impacts of particle control technologies and strategies • Aerosol transport in indoor environments • Connections between energy and indoor air quality

  12. Recent/Ongoing Projects • Ozone emission from in-duct air cleaners • Passive removal of pollutants • HVAC filters as passive samplers • Energy implications of filtration X “Clogged, dirty filters block normal air flow and reduce a system's efficiency significantly…. Keeping the filter clean can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5%–15%.”

  13. New Project • Indoor air quality and ventilation in retail stores • Fundamental problem • Huge energy expenditure from ventilation (50% of total) • Very diverse types of buildings/sources • Stores want to diminish energy use • Research will explore connection between building ventilation rate, store type, climate, season, occupant perception, and several indoor air quality measures • Microbioogy, SVOCs, VOCs, aldehydes, particles, ozone, CO2, etc • Largest study ever funded by ASHRAE

  14. Positions • Looking for 1-3 students • Qualifications • Interested in indoor environments and energy measurements • Enjoy fieldwork • Detail-oriented • Creative • Will be in EWRE until 12/31/2012 or later

  15. Position – Ozone Air Cleaners • Looking for 1 student • Qualifications • Interested in indoor environments and • Enjoy laboratory work • Detail-oriented • M.S. project

  16. Contact Information jasiegel@mail.utexas.edu (512) 471-2410 ECJ 5.2

  17. Faculty

  18. Laboratories HVAC simulator GC/MS and small chambers Large environmental chamber Full scale test house (UTest)

  19. Courses CE 389TIndoor Air Quality: Trans. and Control - Siegel CE 396L.4 Indoor Air Quality: Physics and Chem. – Corsi CE 397 Sources & Indoor Air Pollution – Xu CE 397Air and Pollutant Flows in Buildings - Novoselac CE 381E Energy Efficient & Healthy Buildings - Siegel CE 397 Energy Simulation in Building Design - Novoselac CE 389H HVAC Design – Novoselac/Siegel CE 397 Human Exposure Assessment – Corsi CE 397 Renewable Energy and Envir. Sustainability - Xu CE397Indoor Air Quality Field Measurements - Siegel CE 397IGERT Technical Exchange A/B – Corsi/Hart

  20. Students 37 IGERT Students Trainees = 21 (including 6 alumni) Affiliates = 16 (including 8 alumni) Multidisciplinary Environment Departments represented: CAEE, Economics, ME, Toxicology, Community and Regional Planning, Advertising 13 faculty advisors (seven from CAEE) 13 CAEE Students In broader area of architectural and environmental engineering 20

  21. Novoselac Research Themes • Human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments • Heat and mass transfer at indoor surfaces • Transport between indoor and outdoor environment • Use of phase change materials as building thermal storage systems

  22. Pollutant Transport & Human Exposure Research Approach: 1) Modeling (CFD) 2) Experiments O3 - Person to person exposure in public spaces - Ventilation systems for nurseries

  23. Heat and Mass Transfer at Indoor Surfaces hheat = f ( ACH, ΔT) hmass = f ( ACH, ΔT,…) use in air quality analyses

  24. Transport Between Indoor and Outdoor Environment Wind fluctuation Wind direction Defines: natural ventilation, infiltration, pollutant transport, …

  25. Phase Change Materials as Building Thermal Storage Systems Small thermal mass Power [w] Large thermal mass night day Day time Energy cost Low thermal mass Large thermal mass Saving ~ 5% Same saving like integrating photovoltaic cells on south-east and south-west façades

  26. Ying Xu Research Themes Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOC) Emissions from Building Materials Modeling emission characteristics Chamber study on emission process Directly measure emission control parameters Investigate SVOC interaction with other surfaces SVOC transport and human exposure Environmentally Benign Materials

  27. SVOC Emissions from Building Materials • Phthalate plasticizers • High conc., 40% by weight • Adverse effects • Reproductive tract • Asthma and allergic symptoms 40%

  28. SVOC Emissions from Building Materials Mass Transfer Based Model Chamber Study Measure Control Parameters Human Exposure

  29. Environmentally Benign Materials Barrier layer Alternatives Flame retardants Biocides Cleaning products Additive adsorption materials …… Structural insulated panels

  30. Positions • Indoor air quality and ventilation in retail stores • Looking for 1-3 students • Ozone Air Cleaners • Looking for 1 student Contact Information: Jeffrey Siegel jasiegel@mail.utexas.edu (512) 471-2410 ECJ 5.2

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