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BUILDING FEATURES THAT INFLUENCE THE PENETRATION OF TOXIC GASES FROM THE AMBIENT TO THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Citation:
MOSLEY, R. B., M. A. MASON, X. LIEU, AND C. WHITFIELD. BUILDING FEATURES THAT INFLUENCE THE PENETRATION OF TOXIC GASES FROM THE AMBIENT TO THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT. In Proceedings, Indoor Environmental Quality: Problems, Research and Solutions, Durham, NC, July 17 - 19, 2006. AWMA, Pittsburgh, PA, 15 p., (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
Strategies to reduce indoor exposures to certain toxic air contaminants suggested a study of the penetration of these toxics from the external atmosphere into an unoccupied research house. The mass balance method is applied to measure rates of sorption and re-emission of the contaminants of interest on interior surfaces of the house. With these quantities known, the penetration into the house can be determined for a number of air exchange rates induced by applied negative pressures in the house. Flow rates between different zones of the house were measured using multiple tracer gases. The study considers the complications introduced into the mass balance process by interzonal flows and leakage from the air handler ducts. Mathematical equations for use in interpreting the measurements and estimating the interzonal flows are presented.