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ASSESSMENT OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS AS RELATED TO THE BASE STUDY
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this effort is to analyze the EPA's BASE Study data to: (a) assess evidence that ventilation systems are sources of contaminants and the associated risks of symptoms, and (b) assess evidence that buildings and occupied spaces are sources of contaminants and the associated risks of symptoms. This effort is being conducted under an Interagency Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). It is expected that DOE/LBNL will produce a technical report for each of these tasks, and that these reports will be subjected to DOE/LBNL's established external review process.
Description:
The U.S. EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air studied 100 public and private office buildings across the U.S. from 1994 1998. The purpose of the study, entitled the Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (BASE) Study, was to: (a) provide a distribution of indoor air quality (IAQ), building, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) characteristics; (b) obtain baseline occupant symptom rates; (c) establish protocols; (d) examine relationships between symptoms, pollutant levels, and building characteristics and (e) assist in developing guidance on building design aspects. The BASE Study provides statistically valid data from a nationwide cross section of office buildings. The data provide an opportunity to assess potential associations between building and ventilation system characteristics & occupant perceptions and symptoms.