Indoor Air Quality Management: Comparison
Please note this is a comparison between Version 1 by HE ZHANG and Version 2 by Rita Xu.

The existence of indoor air pollutants—such as ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and total volatile organic compounds—is evidently a critical issue for human health. Over the past decade, various international agencies have continually refined and updated the quantitative air quality guidelines and standards in order to meet the requirements for indoor air quality management. This entry first provides a systematic review of the existing air quality guidelines and standards implemented by different agencies, which include the Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); the World Health Organization (WHO); the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and the California ambient air quality standards (CAAQS). It then adds to this by providing a state-of-art review of the existing low-cost air quality sensor (LCAQS) technologies, and analyzes the corresponding specifications, such as the typical detection range, measurement tolerance or repeatability, data resolution, response time, supply current, and market price. Finally, it briefly reviews a sequence (array) of field measurement studies, which focuses on the technical measurement characteristics and their data analysis approaches.

The existence of indoor air pollutants—such as ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and total volatile organic compounds—is evidently a critical issue for human health. Over the past decade, various international agencies have continually refined and updated the quantitative air quality guidelines and standards in order to meet the requirements for indoor air quality management. This paper first provides a systematic review of the existing air quality guidelines and standards implemented by different agencies, which include the Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); the World Health Organization (WHO); the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and the California ambient air quality standards (CAAQS). It then adds to this by providing a state-of-art review of the existing low-cost air quality sensor (LCAQS) technologies, and analyzes the corresponding specifications, such as the typical detection range, measurement tolerance or repeatability, data resolution, response time, supply current, and market price. Finally, it briefly reviews a sequence (array) of field measurement studies, which focuses on the technical measurement characteristics and their data analysis approaches.

  • indoor air quality
  • standards
  • guidelines
  • pollutants
  • sick building syndrome
  • low-cost sensor

Note:All the information in this draft can be edited by authors. And the entry will be online only after authors edit and submit it.

1. Introduction

The WHO reported that poor air quality caused 4.2 million deaths in 2016, of which, primarily, 17% were due to strokes, 25% were due to COPD, and 26% were due to respiratory disease [1]. It is evident from many studies that the concentration levels of indoor air pollutants are two to four times higher than those of outdoor air pollutants [2][3][4][5][2–5]. In the U.S., on average, people spend 22.25 h per day inside buildings, and 1.44 h in cars or other transportation modes [6][7][6,7]. With higher concentrations of pollutants inside buildings, IAQ is one of the world’s highest environmental health risks [8][9][8,9], which cannot be ignored.

The impact on human health owing to the indoor environment is, broadly speaking, either BRI or SBS. BRI relates to symptoms that are clinically defined, which are diagnosed with directly airborne building contaminants [5][6][7][8][5–8]. On the other hand, SBS is a collection of symptoms for which the cause is unclear [10][11][12][10–12]. It is to be noted that SBS is a consequence of poor indoor air quality [13]. Besides this, the symptoms caused by psychological illnesses—such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, hyperventilation, and fainting—are referred to as Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) [14]. Building-associated illnesses not only cause symptoms, but can also cause an enormous economic loss. In the U.S., SBS affects 10 to 25 million people, and results in an estimated $82 billion to $104 billion loss every year, owing to productivity loss [15][16][17][18][19][15–19]. The US EPA estimated a $140 billion annual direct medical expenditure related to IAQ problems [20][21][20,21].

SBS has become a widely-studied subject in recent years; the following health manifestations have been identified by medical studies: anxiety, depression, environmental discomfort and job strain (psychological symptoms); asthma, allergies, malaise, headache, throat dryness, coughs, sputum, ocular issues, rhinitis, wheezing, skin dryness, and eye pain (physical symptoms/psychosomatic symptoms) [22][23][24][22–24]. Klas et al. [25] found that SBS is related to temperature, air intake, building dampness, exposure to static electricity, indoor smoke, noise, and the building’s age. In addition, the level of physical response is related to age, employment duration, asthma symptoms, and psychological states.

The contributors of SBS and BRI can be divided into four categories: (1) physical (e.g., temperature, humidity, ventilation, illuminance, noise, air quality, etc.); (2) biological; (3) chemical (e.g., radioactive substances, MVOCS, formaldehyde, plasticizer, fine dust, etc.) concentrations; (4) psychosocial and individual traits (e.g., gender, age, atopy, hereditary disease, smoking, psychological state, etc.) [26][27][28][26–28]. The indoor thermal comfort criteria were recommended by the ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, which specifies an indoor operative temperature between 68.5oF and 75oF in the winter, and between 75oF and 80.5oF in the summer [29]. Similarly, the recommended indoor relative humidity given by the by US EPA is between 30% and 60%, in order to reduce mold growth [30].

The presence of indoor air pollutants is a major factor that directly affects human health [31]. Indoor air pollutants may include O3, CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, particulate matter (PM), and TVOC, which can cause tiredness, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), COPD, and lung cancer [28][32][28,32].

2. Indoor Air Quality, the Vulnerable Population, and Asthma

A 2015 report showed that air pollution does not affect everyone in the same way; certain vulnerable populations (e.g., children, the elderly, and cardiopulmonary patients, etc.) are more susceptible than others [33]. The US EPA defined the ‘risk population’ as being those who possess a significantly higher probability of developing a condition, illness or other abnormal status, and divided them into five groups, namely: (1) children aged less than or equal to 13 years; (2) older people aged greater or equal to 65 years; (3) a young person with asthma, who is less or equal than the age of 18 years; (4) legal adults with asthma; (5) people with COPD [34]. Children and older people are more sensitive than others with regards to indoor air pollution [35][36][37][38][39][35–39]. While the immune and metabolic systems of children are still developing, and their organs are immature, they are exposed to air pollutants due to which they suffer from frequent respiratory infections [40][41][40,41]. Older people are affected by IAQ due to weaker immune systems, undiagnosed respiratory conditions, and cardiovascular health conditions. A hazardous substance can aggravate heart diseases, strokes, and lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and asthma [42][43][42,43].

Asthma is a chronic disease that often causes an exacerbation of disease activity, some of which result in hospitalizations. Air quality measures—such as PM2.5, NO2, O3, and dampness-related contaminants—play a significant role in asthma exacerbation, as well as disease progression. Asthmatic children spend 60% of their waking hours in school. A recent large-scale study [44] showed that co-exposure to elevated endotoxin levels and PM2.5 was synergistically correlated with increased emergency room visits, especially for asthma among children. Exposure to higher concentrations of endotoxin and NO2 was also synergistically associated with increased asthma attacks, despite below-normal geometric mean concentrations of PM2.5, O3 and NO2 compared to EPA NAAQ standards [44][45][44,45]. A 2015 update to the 2000 review of the Institute of Medicine [46] suggested that—in addition to endotoxin levels—dampness, and dampness-related agents are also important environmental quality indicators for asthma.

According to the ALA ‘State of the Air® 2020’ report, 45.8% of people in the U.S. live in counties with unhealthy levels of air pollution; among these, 22 million people are elderly (equal or over age 65), and 34.2 million are children (less than age 18); 2.5 million of the children, and more than 10.6 million of the elderly people, have asthma; 7 million people have COPD; 77,000 people have lung cancer; 9.3 million have cardiovascular issues; and 18.7 million live in poverty [47].

3. Air Quality Sensors, Measurement Tolerances, and Ranges

In recent years, LCAQS technology has emerged from several laboratories for practical application, as they can be used to support real-time, spatial, and temporal data resolution for the monitoring of air concentration levels [48][49][50][83–85]. Additionally, more and more companies provide their own LCAQS products. The principles of operation for the low-cost gas-phase sensors are typically based on five major components, which are OPC, MOS, EC, NDIR, and PID [51][52][86,87]. Studies have shown that modern LCAQS provide useful qualitative information for scientific research, as well as for end-users [50][53][54][85,88,89]. However, due to the embedded technical uncertainties and lack of cross-validation and verification, there are certain limitations when comparing them to the expensive conventional equipment [52][55][56][57][87,90–92]. The US EPA has colloquially identified such devices to be low cost when their costs are less than US $2500, because this is often the limit when they are considered for capital investment by scientists and end-users [48][83]. The price includes the sensor module, its networks, the interactive platform, and other supply services. Therefore, hereafter, we assert that LCAQs should be less than US $500. Table 1 summarizes a series of commercially available LCAQs for primary air pollutants, such as O3, CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, PM, TVOCs. Furthermore, the specifications from the datasheet provided by the sensor companies—such as the repeatability, measuring range, circuit voltage, and response times—have been listed. The price of these LCAQS ranges between US $1 and $500, and they are capable of detecting an acceptable range of concentrations of each pollutant identified by the existing guidelines (See Table 2).

Table 1. Commercially available LCAQs for the primary air pollutants.

Measured

Parameter

Example Product

Manufacturer

Measurement

Tolerance/Repeatability

Measuring Range

Circuit Voltage

Response Time

Approx.

Price (USD). 2019

O3

SR-G04 [58]

BW Technologies/

Honeywell

±5%

0~1 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

≈$500

uHoo-O3 [59]

uHoo

±10 ppb or

5% of reading

0~1000 ppb

5.0 V

Not Provided

$300–500

ME3-O3 [60]

Winsen

<2% (/Month)

0~20 ppm

Not Provided

≤120 s

$100–300

DGS-O3 968-042 [61]

SPEC

±15%

0~5 ppm

3.3 v

<30 s

$50–100

ULPSM-O3 968-005 [62]

SPEC

±2%

0~20 ppm

2.7 V~3.3 V

<30 s

$1–50

ZE25-O3 [63]

Winsen

Not Provided

0~10 ppm

3.7 V~5.5 V

≤90 s

$1–50

MQ131 [64]

Winsen

Not Provided

10~1000 ppm

≤24 V DC

Not Provided

$1–50

MiCS-2610 [65]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

10~1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

CO

uHoo-CO [66]

uHoo

±10 ppm

0~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

CO-B4 [67][68]

Alphasense

±1 ppm

0~1000 ppm

Not Provided

1 s

$100–300

MNS-9-W2-GS-C1[69]

Monnit

± 2% of reading

 or 1 ppm

0~1000 ppm

2.0~3.6 v

<40 s (at 20 °C)

$100–300

DGS-CO 968-034 [70]

SPEC

< ±3% of

reading or 2 ppm

0 to 1000 ppm

3.3 v

<30 s

$50–100

MiCS-4514/

CJMCU4541 [71]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS 5342 [72]

FIGARO

±10 ppm

0~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

60 s

$1–50

TGS 2442 [73]

FIGARO

Not SProvided

30~1000 ppm

5.0 v

1 s

$1–50

HS-134 [74]

Sencera

Not Provided

20~1000 ppm

5.0 v

<2 s

$1–50

MiCS-5524 [75]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

<25 s

$1–50

TGS5042 [76]

FIGARO

< ± 10 ppm

0~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

5.0 v

$1–50

MQ-7 [77]

HANWEI

Not Provided

20~2000 ppm

5.0 v

≤150 s

$1–50

CO2

uHoo-CO2 [66]

uHoo

±50 ppm or

3% of reading

400~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

GC0028/

CM-40301 [78]

The SprintIR®-6S

±70 ppm

± 5% of reading

0–5%

3.25~5.5 v

Flow Rate

Dependent

$100–300

AW6404

[79]

AWAIR

±75 ppm

(400 to 6000 ppm)

0~4000 ppm

5.0 v

3 min

$100–300

B-530 [80]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm

±3% reading

0~50,000 ppm

9~15 v

120 s

$100–300

FBT0002100

[81]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±1.0 ppm

(400 to 6000 ppm)

400~6000 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

8096-AP [82]

Air Mentor Pro

± 5%

400~2000 ppm

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

Yocto-CO2 [83]

Yoctopuce

± 30 ppm ± 55%

0–10,000 ppm

4.75~5.25

2 s @ 0.5 l/min

$100–300

NWS01-EU [84]

Netatmo

± 5%

(1000 to 5000 ppm)

0~5000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$100–300

CozIR®-LP2[85]

GSS

± 30 ppm ± 3% reading

0–5000 ppm

3.25–5.5 v

30 s

$100–300

K-30 [86]

CO2Meter

±30 ppm/

 ±3% of reading

0~5000 ppm

4.5–14 v

2 s @ 0.5 l/min

$50–100

D-400 [87]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm

±3% of Reading

0~2000 ppm

4.75~12 v

30 s

$100–300

GC-0015 [88]

MinIR™

±70 ppm

± 5% of reading

0–5%

3.3 ± 0.1 v

4~2 min

$100–300

ELT T110 [89]

ELT SENSOR

± 50 ppm

±3% reading

400~2000 ppm

3.2 v~3.55 v

90 s

$50–100

MT-100 [90]

ELT SENSOR

±70 ppm

 ±3% of reading

0~10,000 ppm

3.5~5.2 V

120 s

$50–100

S-300 [91]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm,

±3% measure

0~2000 ppm

5.0 V ± 5%

60 s

$50–100

T6713 [92]

Telaire

±3%

0~5000 ppm

4.5–5.5 v

3 min

$50–100

T6615 [93]

Telaire

± 10% of reading

0~50,000 ppm

5 v

2 min

$50–100

MG811 [94]

Winsen

±75 ppm

350~10,000 ppm

7.5–12 v

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS4161

[95]

FIGARO

±20% at 1000 pm

350~10,000 ppm

5.0 ± 0.2 v

1.5 min

$1–50

MH-Z16 NDIR CO2 [96]

Winsen

±50 ppm

± 5% of reading

0~5000 ppm

3.3 v

30 s

$1–50

MH-Z19 [97]

Winsen

± 50 ppm

±5% reading

‎0~5000 ppm

3.3 v

60 s

$1–50

SO2

B4 SO2 [98]

Alphasense

±5 ppb

0~100 ppm

3 v

30 s

$100–300

ME4-SO2 [99]

Winsen

±2%

200 ppm

Not Provided

30 s

$100–300

DGS-SO2 968-038 [100]

SPEC

±15%

0~20 ppm

3.0 v

30 s

$50–100

EC-4SO2-2000

[101]

Qingdao Scienoc

Chemical

±2%

0~2000 ppm

Not Provided

60 s

$50–100

MQ-136 [102]

HANWEI

±2%

1–100 ppm

5 v ± 0.1

60 s

$1–50

FECS43-20 [103]

FIGARO

±2%

0~20 ppm

Not Provided

25 s

Not Provided

NO2

uHoo-NO2 [66]

uHoo

± 10 ppb

±5% of reading

0~1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

DGS-NO2 968-043 [104]

SPEC Sensors

±15%

0~10 ppm

3 v

30 s

$50–100

Mics-6814 [105]

SGX SensorTech

±10 ppb

0.05–10 ppm

5.0 v

30 s

$1–50

MiCS-4514/

CJMCU4541 [71]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

MiCS-2714 [106]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

0.05~10 ppm

4.9~5.1 v

30 s

$1–50

B4 NO2 [107]

Alphasense

±12 ppb

0~50 ppm

3.5~6.4 v

25 s

$1–50

PM

uHoo-PM2.5 [66]

uHoo

±20 μg/m3

0~200 µg/m3

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

DC1100 Pro [108]

Dylos

Not Provided

0~1000 µg/m3

9 v

Not Provided

$100–300

OPC-N2 [109]

Alphasense

Not Provided

0.38~17 µm

4.8~5.2 v

Not Provided

$100–300

FBT0002100

[110]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±20%

0~1300 µg/m³

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

AW6404

[111]

AWAIR

±15 µg/m3

15% of reading

0~1000 µg/m3

5 V/2.0 A

Not Provided

$100–300

8096-AP [112]

Air Mentor Pro

Not Provided

0~300 µg/m3

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

SPS30 [113]

Sensirion

±10 μg/m3

0~1000 µg/m3

4.5~5.5 v

60 s

$1–50

PMS7003

[114]

Plantower

±10 @

100~500 µg/m3

0~500 µg/m3

5.0~5.5 v

10 s

$1–50

PMS5003

[115]

Plantower

±10 @

100~500 µg/m3

0~500 µg/m3

5.0~5.5 v

10 s

$1–50

HPMA115S0-XXX [116]

Honeywell

±15 µg/m3

0~1000 µg/m3

5 ± 0.2 v

6 s

$1–50

DN7C3CA006 [117]

Sharp

Microelectronics

±0.2

25~500 µg/m3

5 ± 0.1 v

Not Provided

$1–50

SDS011 [118]

Nova Fitness

15%

 ±10 μg/m3

0.0–999.9 μg /m3

5 V

Not Provided

$1–50

Shinyei PPD42NS

[119]

Shinyei

Not Provided

0~28,000 pcs/liter

5.0~5.5 v

60 s

$1–50

TIDA-00378 [120]

TI Designs

75% Over

Detection Range

12~35 pcs/cm3

3.3 V

Not Provided

Not Provided

t-VOCs

uHoo-TVOC [66]

uHoo

10 ppb or 5%

0–1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

8096-AP [82]

Air Mentor Pro

Not Provided

0~300 µg/m3

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

AW6404

[111]

AWAIR

±10%

0~60,000 ppb

5.0 v

60 s

$100–300

FBT0002100

[110]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±10%

0~1000 ppb

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

ZMOD4410

[121]

IDT

±10%

0~1000 ppm

1.7~3.6 v

5 s

$50–100

Yocto-VOC-V3 [122]

Yoctopuce

Not Provided

0~65,000 ppb

Not Provided

Not Provided

$50–100

uThing::VOC™- [123]

Ohmetech.io

±15%

0–500

5.0 v

3 s

$50–100

MiCS-5524 [124]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

10~100 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

$1–50

iAQ-100 C/ 110-802 [125]

SPEC

±2 ppm

0~100 ppm

12 ± 2 VDC

20 s

$1–50

SP3_AQ2 [126]

Nissha FIS

Not Provided

0~100 ppm

5 v ± 4%

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS2602 [127]

FIGARO

Not Provided

1~30 ppm

5 ± 0.2 v

30 s

$1–50

MICS-VZ-87 [128]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

400–2000 ppm

 equivalent CO2

5.0 v

30 s

$1–50

Measured

Parameter

Example Product

Manufacturer

Measurement

Tolerance/Repeatability

Measuring Range

Circuit Voltage

Response Time

Approx.

Price (USD). 2019

O3

SR-G04[93]

BW Technologies/

Honeywell

±5%

0~1 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

≈$500

uHoo-O3[94]

uHoo

±10 ppb or

5% of reading

0~1000 ppb

5.0 V

Not Provided

$300–500

ME3-O3[95]

Winsen

<2% (/Month)

0~20 ppm

Not Provided

≤120 s

$100–300

DGS-O3 968-042[96]

SPEC

±15%

0~5 ppm

3.3 v

<30 s

$50–100

ULPSM-O3 968-005[97]

SPEC

±2%

0~20 ppm

2.7 V~3.3 V

<30 s

$1–50

ZE25-O3[98]

Winsen

Not Provided

0~10 ppm

3.7 V~5.5 V

≤90 s

$1–50

MQ131[99]

Winsen

Not Provided

10~1000 ppm

≤24 V DC

Not Provided

$1–50

MiCS-2610[100]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

10~1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

CO

uHoo-CO[101]

uHoo

±10 ppm

0~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

CO-B4[102,103]

Alphasense

±1 ppm

0~1000 ppm

Not Provided

1 s

$100–300

MNS-9-W2-GS-C1[104]

Monnit

± 2% of reading

 or 1 ppm

0~1000 ppm

2.0~3.6 v

<40 s (at 20 °C)

$100–300

DGS-CO 968-034[105]

SPEC

< ±3% of

reading or 2 ppm

0 to 1000 ppm

3.3 v

<30 s

$50–100

MiCS-4514/

CJMCU4541[106]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS 5342[107]

FIGARO

±10 ppm

0~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

60 s

$1–50

TGS 2442[108]

FIGARO

Not SProvided

30~1000 ppm

5.0 v

1 s

$1–50

HS-134[109]

Sencera

Not Provided

20~1000 ppm

5.0 v

<2 s

$1–50

MiCS-5524[110]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

<25 s

$1–50

TGS5042[111]

FIGARO

< ± 10 ppm

0~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

5.0 v

$1–50

MQ-7[112]

HANWEI

Not Provided

20~2000 ppm

5.0 v

≤150 s

$1–50

CO2

uHoo-CO2[101]

uHoo

±50 ppm or

3% of reading

400~10,000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

GC0028/

CM-40301[113]

The SprintIR®-6S

±70 ppm

± 5% of reading

0–5%

3.25~5.5 v

Flow Rate

Dependent

$100–300

AW6404

[114]

AWAIR

±75 ppm

(400 to 6000 ppm)

0~4000 ppm

5.0 v

3 min

$100–300

B-530[115]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm

±3% reading

0~50,000 ppm

9~15 v

120 s

$100–300

FBT0002100

[116]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±1.0 ppm

(400 to 6000 ppm)

400~6000 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

8096-AP[117]

Air Mentor Pro

± 5%

400~2000 ppm

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

Yocto-CO2[118]

Yoctopuce

± 30 ppm ± 55%

0–10,000 ppm

4.75~5.25

2 s @ 0.5 l/min

$100–300

NWS01-EU[119]

Netatmo

± 5%

(1000 to 5000 ppm)

0~5000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$100–300

CozIR®-LP2[120]

GSS

± 30 ppm ± 3% reading

0–5000 ppm

3.25–5.5 v

30 s

$100–300

K-30[121]

CO2Meter

±30 ppm/

 ±3% of reading

0~5000 ppm

4.5–14 v

2 s @ 0.5 l/min

$50–100

D-400[122]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm

±3% of Reading

0~2000 ppm

4.75~12 v

30 s

$100–300

GC-0015[123]

MinIR™

±70 ppm

± 5% of reading

0–5%

3.3 ± 0.1 v

4~2 min

$100–300

ELT T110[124]

ELT SENSOR

± 50 ppm

±3% reading

400~2000 ppm

3.2 v~3.55 v

90 s

$50–100

MT-100[125]

ELT SENSOR

±70 ppm

 ±3% of reading

0~10,000 ppm

3.5~5.2 V

120 s

$50–100

S-300[126]

ELT SENSOR

±30 ppm,

±3% measure

0~2000 ppm

5.0 V ± 5%

60 s

$50–100

T6713[127]

Telaire

±3%

0~5000 ppm

4.5–5.5 v

3 min

$50–100

T6615[128]

Telaire

± 10% of reading

0~50,000 ppm

5 v

2 min

$50–100

MG811[129]

Winsen

±75 ppm

350~10,000 ppm

7.5–12 v

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS4161

[130]

FIGARO

±20% at 1000 pm

350~10,000 ppm

5.0 ± 0.2 v

1.5 min

$1–50

MH-Z16 NDIR CO2[131]

Winsen

±50 ppm

± 5% of reading

0~5000 ppm

3.3 v

30 s

$1–50

MH-Z19[132]

Winsen

± 50 ppm

±5% reading

‎0~5000 ppm

3.3 v

60 s

$1–50

SO2

B4 SO2 [133]

Alphasense

±5 ppb

0~100 ppm

3 v

30 s

$100–300

ME4-SO2[134]

Winsen

±2%

200 ppm

Not Provided

30 s

$100–300

DGS-SO2 968-038 [135]

SPEC

±15%

0~20 ppm

3.0 v

30 s

$50–100

EC-4SO2-2000

[136]

Qingdao Scienoc

Chemical

±2%

0~2000 ppm

Not Provided

60 s

$50–100

MQ-136[137]

HANWEI

±2%

1–100 ppm

5 v ± 0.1

60 s

$1–50

FECS43-20[138]

FIGARO

±2%

0~20 ppm

Not Provided

25 s

Not Provided

NO2

uHoo-NO2 [101]

uHoo

± 10 ppb

±5% of reading

0~1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

DGS-NO2 968-043[139]

SPEC Sensors

±15%

0~10 ppm

3 v

30 s

$50–100

Mics-6814[140]

SGX SensorTech

±10 ppb

0.05–10 ppm

5.0 v

30 s

$1–50

MiCS-4514/

CJMCU4541[106]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

1~1000 ppm

5.0 v

Not Provided

$1–50

MiCS-2714[141]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

0.05~10 ppm

4.9~5.1 v

30 s

$1–50

B4 NO2[142]

Alphasense

±12 ppb

0~50 ppm

3.5~6.4 v

25 s

$1–50

PM

uHoo-PM2.5[101]

uHoo

±20 μg/m3

0~200 µg/m3

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

DC1100 Pro[143]

Dylos

Not Provided

0~1000 µg/m3

9 v

Not Provided

$100–300

OPC-N2[144]

Alphasense

Not Provided

0.38~17 µm

4.8~5.2 v

Not Provided

$100–300

FBT0002100

[145]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±20%

0~1300 µg/m³

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

AW6404

[146]

AWAIR

±15 µg/m3

15% of reading

0~1000 µg/m3

5 V/2.0 A

Not Provided

$100–300

8096-AP[147]

Air Mentor Pro

Not Provided

0~300 µg/m3

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

SPS30[148]

Sensirion

±10 μg/m3

0~1000 µg/m3

4.5~5.5 v

60 s

$1–50

PMS7003

[149]

Plantower

±10 @

100~500 µg/m3

0~500 µg/m3

5.0~5.5 v

10 s

$1–50

PMS5003

[150]

Plantower

±10 @

100~500 µg/m3

0~500 µg/m3

5.0~5.5 v

10 s

$1–50

HPMA115S0-XXX [151]

Honeywell

±15 µg/m3

0~1000 µg/m3

5 ± 0.2 v

6 s

$1–50

DN7C3CA006[152]

Sharp

Microelectronics

±0.2

25~500 µg/m3

5 ± 0.1 v

Not Provided

$1–50

SDS011[153]

Nova Fitness

15%

 ±10 μg/m3

0.0–999.9 μg /m3

5 V

Not Provided

$1–50

Shinyei PPD42NS

[154]

Shinyei

Not Provided

0~28,000 pcs/liter

5.0~5.5 v

60 s

$1–50

TIDA-00378[155]

TI Designs

75% Over

Detection Range

12~35 pcs/cm3

3.3 V

Not Provided

Not Provided

t-VOCs

uHoo-TVOC[101]

uHoo

10 ppb or 5%

0–1000 ppb

5.0 v

Not Provided

$300–500

8096-AP[117]

Air Mentor Pro

Not Provided

0~300 µg/m3

3.7 v

Not Provided

$100–300

AW6404

[146]

AWAIR

±10%

0~60,000 ppb

5.0 v

60 s

$100–300

FBT0002100

[145]

Foobot (Airboxlab)

±10%

0~1000 ppb

Not Provided

Not Provided

$100–300

ZMOD4410

[156]

IDT

±10%

0~1000 ppm

1.7~3.6 v

5 s

$50–100

Yocto-VOC-V3[157]

Yoctopuce

Not Provided

0~65,000 ppb

Not Provided

Not Provided

$50–100

uThing::VOC™- [158]

Ohmetech.io

±15%

0–500

5.0 v

3 s

$50–100

MiCS-5524[159]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

10~100 ppm

Not Provided

Not Provided

$1–50

iAQ-100 C/ 110-802[160]

SPEC

±2 ppm

0~100 ppm

12 ± 2 VDC

20 s

$1–50

SP3_AQ2[161]

Nissha FIS

Not Provided

0~100 ppm

5 v ± 4%

Not Provided

$1–50

TGS2602[162]

FIGARO

Not Provided

1~30 ppm

5 ± 0.2 v

30 s

$1–50

MICS-VZ-87[163]

SGX SensorTech

Not Provided

400–2000 ppm

 equivalent CO2

5.0 v

30 s

$1–50

Table 2. Common air quality guidelines and standards.

Common air quality guidelines and standards.

Measured

Parameter

NAAQS/EPA

(U.S. Enforceable)

[129][130][131][132][133]

OSHA

(U.S. Enforceable)

[134]

WHO/

Europe

(Christopher et al., 2017; WHO, 2016b, WHO, 2010) [135][136]

ACGIH

[137]

ANSI/

ASHRAE

62.1

[138]

NIOSH

[138]

CAAQS

(SCAQMD)

[139]

O3

0.07 ppm

(8-h mean)

0.12 ppm

(1 h mean)

0.08 ppm

0.1 ppm

120 µg/m3

(8-h mean)

0.3 ppm

(15 min)

0.05 ppm

(heavy work)

0.08 ppm

 (moderate work)

0.1 ppm

 (light work)

0.2 ppm

 (work ≤ 2 h)

100 µg/m3; 50 ppb

(8-h mean)



0.1 ppm

(0.2 mg/m3)

0.07 ppm

(8-h)

0.09 ppm

(1-h)

CO

9 ppm

(8-h mean)

35 ppm

(1 h mean)

50 ppm

100 mg/m3

(15-min mean)

35 mg/m3

(1-h mean)

10 mg/m3

(8-h mean)

7 mg/m3

(24-h mean)

25 ppm

(8-h)

9 ppm

(8-h mean)

35 ppm

40 mg/m3

(8-h mean)

200 ppm

(229 mg/m3)

ceiling

20 ppm,

(1-H mean)

9.0 ppm,

(8-H mean)

CO2

N/A

5000 ppm

N/A

5000 ppm

(8-h)

30,000 ppm

(15 min mean)

5000 ppm

300~500 ppm

(outdoor suggest)

1000 ppm

(indoor suggest)

5000 ppm

(9000 mg/m3)

30,000 ppm

(15 min)

(54,000 mg/m3)

N/A

SO2

75 ppb

(1-h mean)

5 ppm

20 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

500 µg/m3

(10-min mean)

0.25 ppm

 (15 min)

80 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

2 ppm

(5 mg/m3)

5 ppm

(10 mg/m3)

0.25 ppm

1-H mean

0.04 ppm

(24-h mean)

NO2

100 ppb

(1-h)

53 ppb

(Annual mean)

0.1 ppm

200 µg/m3

(0.1 ppm)

(1-h mean)

40 µg/m3

(0.02 ppm)

(1-yr average)

0.02

(15 min)

200 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

470 µg/m3

(24-hoursl mean)

1 ppm

(1.8 mg/m3)

0.18 ppm,

(1-H mean)

0.030 ppm,

(Annual mean)

PM2.5

35 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

12 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

5 mg/m3

25 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

10 µg/m3

(Annual mean)



3 mg/m3

(8-h)

15 µg/m3

N/A

12 µg/m3,

Annual mean

PM10

155 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

(Not to be exceeded more than once per year on average over 3 years)

N/A

50 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

20 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

10 mg/m3

(8-h)

50 µg/m3

N/A

50 µg/m3

(24-H mean)

20 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

t-VOCs

200 μg/m3

AQI INDEX:

0~50 GOOD

51~100 Moderate

101~150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Group

151~200 Unhealthy

201~300 Very Unhealthy

301~500 Hazardous

N/A

300 μg/m3

 (8-h mean.)

N/A

See full list on:

ASHRAE Standard 62.1

TVOC guidance

N/A

N/A

Measured

Parameter

NAAQS/EPA

(U.S. Enforceable)

[164–168]

OSHA

(U.S. Enforceable)

[169]

WHO/

Europe

(Christopher et al., 2017; WHO, 2016b, WHO, 2010) [170,171]

ACGIH

[172]

ANSI/

ASHRAE

62.1

[173]

NIOSH

[173]

CAAQS

(SCAQMD)

[174]

O3

0.07 ppm

(8-h mean)

0.12 ppm

(1 h mean)

0.08 ppm

0.1 ppm

120 µg/m3

(8-h mean)

0.3 ppm

(15 min)

0.05 ppm

(heavy work)

0.08 ppm

 (moderate work)

0.1 ppm

 (light work)

0.2 ppm

 (work ≤ 2 h)

100 µg/m3; 50 ppb

(8-h mean)



0.1 ppm

(0.2 mg/m3)

0.07 ppm

(8-h)

0.09 ppm

(1-h)

CO

9 ppm

(8-h mean)

35 ppm

(1 h mean)

50 ppm

100 mg/m3

(15-min mean)

35 mg/m3

(1-h mean)

10 mg/m3

(8-h mean)

7 mg/m3

(24-h mean)

25 ppm

(8-h)

9 ppm

(8-h mean)

35 ppm

40 mg/m3

(8-h mean)

200 ppm

(229 mg/m3)

ceiling

20 ppm,

(1-H mean)

9.0 ppm,

(8-H mean)

CO2

N/A

5000 ppm

N/A

5000 ppm

(8-h)

30,000 ppm

(15 min mean)

5000 ppm

300~500 ppm

(outdoor suggest)

1000 ppm

(indoor suggest)

5000 ppm

(9000 mg/m3)

30,000 ppm

(15 min)

(54,000 mg/m3)

N/A

SO2

75 ppb

(1-h mean)

5 ppm

20 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

500 µg/m3

(10-min mean)

0.25 ppm

 (15 min)

80 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

2 ppm

(5 mg/m3)

5 ppm

(10 mg/m3)

0.25 ppm

1-H mean

0.04 ppm

(24-h mean)

NO2

100 ppb

(1-h)

53 ppb

(Annual mean)

0.1 ppm

200 µg/m3

(0.1 ppm)

(1-h mean)

40 µg/m3

(0.02 ppm)

(1-yr average)

0.02

(15 min)

200 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

470 µg/m3

(24-hoursl mean)

1 ppm

(1.8 mg/m3)

0.18 ppm,

(1-H mean)

0.030 ppm,

(Annual mean)

PM2.5

35 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

12 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

5 mg/m3

25 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

10 µg/m3

(Annual mean)



3 mg/m3

(8-h)

15 µg/m3

N/A

12 µg/m3,

Annual mean

PM10

155 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

(Not to be exceeded more than once per year on average over 3 years)

N/A

50 µg/m3

(24-h mean)

20 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

10 mg/m3

(8-h)

50 µg/m3

N/A

50 µg/m3

(24-H mean)

20 µg/m3

(Annual mean)

t-VOCs

200 μg/m3

AQI INDEX:

0~50 GOOD

51~100 Moderate

101~150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Group

151~200 Unhealthy

201~300 Very Unhealthy

301~500 Hazardous

N/A

300 μg/m3

 (8-h mean.)

N/A

See full list on:

ASHRAE Standard 62.1

TVOC guidance

N/A

N/A

References

  1. WHO. Ambient Air Pollution: A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Disease; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2016.
  2. Jafari, M.J.; Khajevandi, A.A.; Najarkola, S.A.M.; Yekaninejad, M.S.; Pourhoseingholi Amin, M.; Omidi, L.; Kalantary, S. Association of sick building syndrome with indoor air parameters. Tanaffos 2015, 14, 55.
  3. Van Durme, J.; Dewulf, J.; Sysmans, W.; Leys, C.; Van Langenhove, H. Abatement and degradation pathways of toluene in indoor air by positive corona discharge. Chemosphere 2007, 68, 1821–1829, doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.03.053.
  4. He, C.; Morawska, L.; Hitchins, J.; Gilbert, D. Contribution from indoor sources to particle number and mass concentrations in residential houses. Environ. 2004, 38, 3405–3415, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.03.027.
  5. Brown, N.J. Indoor Air Quality; Cornell Univ ILR Sch: Ithaca, NY, USA, 2019.
  6. Goodman, N.B.; Steinemann, A.; Wheeler, A.J.; Paevere, P.J.; Cheng, M.; Brown, S.K. Volatile organic compounds within indoor environments in Australia. Environ. 2017, 122, 116–125, doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.05.033.
  7. Meyer, B.; K. Hermanns.; and D. C. Smith. Formaldehyde release from urea-formaldehyde bonded wood products. J Adhes, 1985, 17(4), 297–308.
  8. Mujan, I.; Anđelković, A.S.; Munćan, V.; Kljajić, M.; Ružić, D. Influence of indoor environmental quality on human health and productivity—A review. Clean. Prod. 2019, 217, 646–657, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.307.
  9. World Health Organization. Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health (PHE); World Heal Organ: Geneva, Switzerland, 2017.
  10. Seltzer, J.M. Building-related illnesses. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 1994, 94, 351–361.
  11. Menzies, D.; Bourbeau, J. Building-related illnesses. Engl. J. Med. 1997, 337, 1524–1531.
  12. Saeki, Y.; Kadonosono, K.; Uchio, E. Clinical and allergological analysis of ocular manifestations of sick building syndrome. Ophthalmol. 2017, 11, 517–522, doi:10.2147/OPTH.S124500.
  13. Horvath, E.P. Building-related illness and sick building syndrome: From the specific to the vague. Clin. J. Med. 1997, 64, 303–309.
  14. SAIF. Indoor Air Quality Investigations. SS-436 2018. Available online: https://www.saif.com/Documents/SafetyandHealth/IndoorAirQuality/SS436_indoor_air_quality_investigation.pdf (accessed on 8 November 2018).
  15. Herr, C.; Otterbach, I.; Nowak, D.; Hornberg, C.; Eikmann, T.; Wiesmüller, G.A. Clinical environmental medicine. Dtsch Arztebl.Umweltmed. 2008, 105, 523–531.
  16. EPA. Report to Congress on Indoor Air Quality, Volume II: Assessment and Control of Indoor Air Pollution; EPA: Washington, DC, USA, 1989.
  17. Nezis, I.; Biskos, G.; Eleftheriadis, K.; Kalantzi, O.I. Particulate matter and health effects in offices—A review. Environ. 2019, 156, 62–73, doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.042.
  18. Fisk, W.J. Health and productivity gains from better indoor environments and their relationship with building energy efficiency. Rev. Energy Environ. 2000, 25, 537–566.
  19. Mendell, M.J.; Fisk, W.J.; Kreiss, K.; Levin, H.; Alexander, D.; Cain, W.S.; Rexroat, L.P. Improving the health of workers in indoor environments: Priority research needs for a National Occupational Research Agenda. J. Public Health 2002, 92, 1430–1440, doi:10.2105/AJPH.92.9.1430.
  20. Kibert, C.J. Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2016.
  21. De Robles, D.; Kramer, S.W. Improving Indoor Air Quality through the Use of Ultraviolet Technology in Commercial Buildings. Procedia Eng. 2017, 196, 888–894, doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.08.021.
  22. Amin, N.D.M.; Akasah, Z.A.; Razzaly, W. Architectural evaluation of thermal comfort: Sick building syndrome symptoms in engineering education laboratories. Procedia-Soc. Behav. Sci. 2015, 204, 19–28.
  23. Magnavita, N. Work-related symptoms in indoor environments: A puzzling problem for the occupational physician. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 2015, 88, 185–196.
  24. Norbäck, D.; Hashim, J.H.; Markowicz, P.; Cai, G.-H.; Hashim, Z.; Ali, F.; Larsson, L. Endotoxin, ergosterol, muramic acid and fungal DNA in dust from schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia—Associations with rhinitis and sick building syndrome (SBS) in junior high school students. Total Environ. 2016, 545, 95–103.
  25. Nordström, K.; Norbäck, D.; Akselsson, R. Influence of indoor air quality and personal factors on the sick building syndrome (SBS) in Swedish geriatric hospitals. Environ. Med. 1995, 52, 170–176.
  26. Lahtinen, M.; Huuhtanen, P.; Reijula, K. Sick Building Syndrome and Psychosocial Factors‐a Literature Review. Indoor Air 1998, 8, 71–80.
  27. Chirico, F.; Ferrari, G.; Taino, G.; Oddone, E.; Giorgi, I.; Imbriani, M. Prevalence and risk factors for sick building syndrome among Italian correctional officers: A pilot study. Health Soc. Sci. 2017, 2, 31–46.
  28. Ghaffarianhoseini, A.; AlWaer, H.; Omrany, H.; Ghaffarianhoseini, A.; Alalouch, C.; Clements-Croome, D.; Tookey, J. Sick building syndrome: Are we doing enough. Archit Sci. Rev. 2018, 61, 99–121.
  29. ASHRAE.; ANSI. Standard 55-2017, Thermal Environmental Comfort Conditions for Human Occupancy; ASHRAE: Atlanta, GA, USA, 2013.
  30. Goss, K.U. Effects of temperature and relative humidity on the sorption of organic vapors on quartz sand. Sci. Technol. 1992, 26, 2287–2294.
  31. Pegas, P.N.; Alves, C.A.; Evtyugina, M.G.; Nunes, T.; Cerqueira, M.; Franchi, M.; Pio, C.A.; Almeida, S.M.; Freitas, M.C. Indoor air quality in elementary schools of Lisbon in spring. Geochem. Health 2011, 33, 455–468.
  32. Smith, K.R. National burden of disease in India from indoor air pollution. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2000, 97, 13286–13293.
  33. Bael, D.; Sample, J. Life and Breath—How Air Pollution Affects Public Health in the Twin Cities”; Minnesota Pollut Control Agency(MPCA)& Minnesota Department Health: St Paul, MN, USA, 2015; pp. 1–50.
  34. CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Populations at Risk from Particulate Air Pollution—United States, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. n.d.; CDC: Atlanta, GA, USA, 1992.
  35. Mendes, A.; Pereira, C.; Mendes, D.; Aguiar, L.; Neves, P.; Silva, S.; Batterman, S.; Teixeira, P.S. Indoor air quality and thermal comfort—Results of a pilot study in elderly care centers in Portugal. Toxicol. Environ. Health A 2013, 76, 333–344.
  36. Simoni, M.; Jaakkola, M.S.; Carrozzi, L.; Baldacci, S.; Di Pede, F.; Viegi, G. Indoor air pollution and respiratory health in the elderly. Respir. J. 2003, 21, 15–20.
  37. Mishra, V. Effect of indoor air pollution from biomass combustion prevalence of asthma in the elderly. Health Perspect 2003, 111, 71–78.
  38. Franklin, P.J. Indoor air quality and respiratory health of children. Respir. Rev. 2007, 8, 281–286.
  39. Smith, K.R.; Samet, J.M.; Romieu, I.; Bruce, N. Indoor air pollution in developing countries and acute lower respiratory infections in children. Thorax 2000, 55, 518–532.
  40. World Health Organization. Effects of Air Pollution Children’s Health and Development: A Review of the Evidence; WHO Regional Office for Europe: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.
  41. Flynn, E.; Matz, P.; Woolf, A.; Wright, R. Indoor air pollutants affecting child health. A project of the American College of Medical Toxicology. 2000, 1–201. Available online: http://www.sygdoms.com/pdf/23.pdf (accessed on 12 November 2018).
  42. Simoni, M.; Baldacci, S.; Maio, S.; Cerrai, S.; Sarno, G.; Viegi, G. Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly. Thorac. Dis. 2015, 7, 34.
  43. NSW Who is Affected by Air Pollution? n.d. Available online: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/air/Pages/who-is-affected.aspx (accessed on 12 November 2018).
  44. Mendy, A.; Wilkerson, J.; Salo, P.M.; Weir, C.H.; Feinstein, L.; Zeldin, D.C.; Thorne, P.S. Synergistic association of house endotoxin exposure and ambient air pollution with asthma outcomes. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2019, 200, 712–720.
  45. Abramson, M.J.; Guo, Y. Indoor Endotoxin Exposure and Ambient Air Pollutants Interact on Asthma Outcomes. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. Ja 2019, 200, 652–654.
  46. Kanchongkittiphon, W.; Mendell, M.J.; Gaffin, J.M.; Wang, G.; Phipatanakul, W. Indoor environmental exposures and exacerbation of asthma: An update to the 2000 review by the Institute of Medicine. Health Perspect. 2014, 123, 6–20.
  47. State of the AIR. American Lung Association (ALA). National Headquarters, American Lung Association, State of the Air, and Fighting for Air are Registered Trademarks of the American Lung Association; State of the AIR: Chicago, IL, USA, 2020; p. 60601.
ScholarVision Creations