TY - CONF KW - Indoor environment department KW - Ventilation and air cleaning KW - Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) KW - Ventilation KW - Commercial Building Ventilation and Indoor Environmental Quality Group KW - Health and productivity effects KW - Symptoms KW - Respiratory symptoms KW - Office workers AU - Mark J Mendell AU - Quanhong Lei-Gomez AU - Michael G Apte AU - William J Fisk AU - Quanhong Lei AB -

Insufficient information has been available on measured ventilation rates and symptoms in office workers. Using U.S. EPA data from 100 large U.S. office buildings, we assessed relationships in multivariate models between ventilation/person and lower respiratory and mucous membrane symptoms. Three preliminary ventilation estimates were used, based on CO2 ratio in airstreams, peak indoor CO2 concentrations, and volumetric estimates of flow rates. Ventilation rates (VRs) from 6-17 cfm/person above the current 20 cfm/person guideline for offices were associated generally with reduced symptom prevalence, but further benefits were not evident from higher VRs. For all ventilation estimates, higher occupant density was independently associated with more symptoms. Findings suggest that VRs somewhat above current guidelines would reduce symptoms in office workers, and that occupant density may play an unrecognized role in ventilation requirements. Different findings for the various ventilation estimates were surprising. Clarification of these relationships, and validation of VR measurement methods are necessary.

BT - 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate C1 -

1.2, 1.5

C2 - LBNL-57102 CY - Beijing, China DA - 01/2005 LA - eng N2 -

Insufficient information has been available on measured ventilation rates and symptoms in office workers. Using U.S. EPA data from 100 large U.S. office buildings, we assessed relationships in multivariate models between ventilation/person and lower respiratory and mucous membrane symptoms. Three preliminary ventilation estimates were used, based on CO2 ratio in airstreams, peak indoor CO2 concentrations, and volumetric estimates of flow rates. Ventilation rates (VRs) from 6-17 cfm/person above the current 20 cfm/person guideline for offices were associated generally with reduced symptom prevalence, but further benefits were not evident from higher VRs. For all ventilation estimates, higher occupant density was independently associated with more symptoms. Findings suggest that VRs somewhat above current guidelines would reduce symptoms in office workers, and that occupant density may play an unrecognized role in ventilation requirements. Different findings for the various ventilation estimates were surprising. Clarification of these relationships, and validation of VR measurement methods are necessary.

PB - Tsinghua University Press PP - Beijing, China PY - 2005 SP - 3758 EP - 3762 T2 - 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate T3 - 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate TI - Estimated Ventilation Rates and Work-Related Symptoms in U.S. Office Buildings - The Base Study VL - 5(6) ER -