Building Factors Influencing Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Smoke Events.
Citation:
Coefield, S. Building Factors Influencing Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Smoke Events. Wildland Fire Leadership Council Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 05 - 06, 2024.
Impact/Purpose:
This poster provides an overview of a field study in Missoula County, MT that examined indoor air quality in public and commercial buildings during wildfire smoke events. Common public health guidance recommends going indoors during smoke events, but commercial HVAC systems draw outside air indoors, and there is little information about how much PM2.5 is present in occupied spaces when PM2.5 concentrations are elevated outdoors. The study found large PM2.5 reduction variability among study buildings and identified HVAC operation and maintenance characteristics that likely influenced indoor PM2.5 concentrations.
Description:
This poster, “Building Factors Influencing Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Smoke Events,” provides an overview of the results and significance of a field study conducted in Missoula County, MT examining indoor air quality in public and commercial buildings during a wildfire smoke event in 2020. Researchers quantified PM2.5 infiltration across study buildings and an HVAC expert inspected the buildings to understand how building characteristics, ventilation systems and occupant practices affect PM2.5 concentrations. The study identified large differences in PM2.5 reductions across and within buildings. HVAC filter MERV rating was not the primary predictor of indoor air quality. Occupant behavior and HVAC operational, maintenance and filter characteristics (including use and maintenance) influenced PM2.5 concentrations. HVAC and building evaluations enhanced the understanding of indoor air quality, and the lessons learned in Missoula will be helpful for other communities impacted by wildfire smoke.