INDOOR AIR QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS LunchLEED_Healthy... · INDOOR AIR QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS Presenter: Sean McCrady, CMC,

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS

Presenter:

Sean McCrady, CMC, CIEC, LEED AP

Director, Testing & Diagnostics

Healthy Buildings, Western Region

WASHINGTON, DC NEW YORK LOS ANGELES

COMPANY HISTORY

COMPANY LOCATIONS

HEALTHY BUILDINGS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

HEALTHY BUILDINGS SERVICES Corporate Sustainability Reporting

Energy Efficiency Audits

Commissioning

LEED Facilitation

Water Efficiency Program

GreenPoint Rated

Climate Solutions

Energy Star Ratings

Energy Modeling

Training

Onsite Renewable Energy Generation

Increase general awareness and knowledge of IAQ

Factors affecting IAQ in buildings

Building related illness

Indoor and outdoor pollutants

IAQ control strategies for major sources of pollution

The impact of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning

Systems on IAQ

The importance of Preventive Maintenance

IAQ and LEED

What’s next in IAQ?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

FUNDAMENTALS OF IAQ

IAQ refers to the quality of air inside

buildings as represented by

concentrations of pollutants and thermal

conditions that affect the health,

comfort, and performance of occupants

FACTORS AFFECTING IAQ

Indoor climate

The thermal environment

Temperature

Humidity

Airflow

Thermal discomfort lowers tolerance

to other IAQ factors

OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING IAQ

Ventilation parameters

Indoor sources of pollution

Outdoor sources of pollution

Airflow patterns and pressure

relationships

Air filtration systems

Courtesy of the US EPA

TYPES OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Combustion contaminants

Biological contaminants

Volatile organic compounds

Formaldehyde

Soil gases

Pesticides

Particles and fibers

BUILDING ASSOCIATED ILLNESSES

Sick Building Syndrome

Building Related Illness

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

ITERATIVE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS

What, Where, When, Who?

Eye Irritation

Dry Throat

Runny Nose

Headache

Sinus Problems

Coughing

Fatigue

Fibers

Bacteria & Viruses

Molds & Fungi

Ozone

Vehicle fumes

Inorganic Chemicals

Organic Chemicals

Pollens & Dusts

Dust Mites

Formaldehyde

Tobacco Smoke

SOURCES OF OUTDOOR CONTAMINANTS

Common Source Tips for Control

Ambient Outdoor Air

•Air quality in general area •Filtration or air cleaning of intake

Vehicular Sources

•Local traffic

•Vehicle idling areas

•Loading dock

•Locate outside air intakes away from source

•Engine shut off at the loading dock

•Pressurize the building/zone

•Add vestibules/sealed doors near source

Construction/Demolition

•Construction dusts,

solvents

•Pressurize building

•Use walk-off mats

WASHINGTON, DC NEW YORK

LOS ANGELES Courtesy of the US EPA



Building Exhaust

•Bathroom exhaust

•Restroom exhaust

•AHU relief vent

•Exhaust from major tenant (e.g.

dry cleaner)

•Separate exhaust or relief from air intake

•Pressurize the building

Water Sources

•Pools or stagnant water on roof

•Cooling tower mist (pathogens,

Legionella)

•Proper roof drainage

•Separate outside air intake from source of water

•Treat and maintain cooling tower water

Birds & Rodents

•Fecal contaminants

•Bird nesting

•Bird proof intake grills

•Consider vertical grills

•Use Integrated Pest Management



Building Operations and Maintenance

•Trash and refuse area

•Chemicals, fertilizers, grounds keeping,

storage

•Painting, roofing, sanding

•Separate source from the intake

•Keep source area clean/lid on tight

•Isolate storage area from occupied areas

Ground Sources

•Soil gas

•Sewer gas

•Underground fuel storage tanks

•Depressurize soil

•Seal foundations and penetrations to

foundation

•Keep air ducts away from ground sources

STRATEGIES FOR CONTROL

Management policies

Pollution transport and pathways

Ventilation

SOURCE CONTROL

Remodeling and Renovation

Painting

Pest Control

Shipping & Receiving

Smoking

Mold & Moisture

REMODELING & RENOVATION

Sustain the comfort and well-being of

construction workers and building

occupants during these activities.

Material selection and installation

Isolate construction activity from occupants

PAINTING

Protocol for painting: to establish

consistent practices between in-house

and contractor personnel

Use low VOC emissions

Paint during unoccupied hours

Keep lids on paint containers

Ventilate/ building flush

Avoid spraying if possible

PEST CONTROL

Integrated Pest Management

Control dirt, moisture, clutter, foodstuff,

harborage to minimize pests

Baits & traps instead of pesticides

Avoid periodic pesticide application

Use pesticides only where pests are located

and only for targeted pest

Only during unoccupied hours

Notify occupants

SHIPPING & RECEIVING

Prevent outdoor contaminants from

entering the building

No idling vehicles in the loading dock

Pressurize the receiving area

Periodically check pressure relationships

Notify delivery personnel of policy

ESTABLISHING A SMOKING POLICY

A smoke free policy which does not

allow smoking in any part of the building

A policy that restricts smoking to

designated areas

25 feet from egress points

MANAGING MOISTURE & MOLD

To control mold in building you must

control and manage: moisture,

humidity, flooding incidents

Maintain relative humidity <65%

Keep all building components dry

Promptly address flooding

Molds are microscopically small

(2 – 20 micrometers)

They are comprised of spores (reproductive

structures) and hyphae (roots)

A suitable moist substrate can allow roots to

take hold and foster germination

A staggering growth rate: Within 48 – 72 hours

wetted surfaces can harbor millions of mold

spores

CHARACTERISTICS

Spores Hyphae

KITCHEN SINK

MOLD BEHIND BASEBOARD

MOLD BEHIND FRP IN KITCHEN

RESERVOIRS & PATHWAYS

Air is saturated at the chill

coil, mold grows readily on

insulation

Mold in fan

chamber

POLLUTION TRANSPORT

Contaminants reach the

breathing zone through

various pathways

High pressure low pressure

Outdoor: Control building pressure,

control the pathway

Indoor: Air should move from:

occupants a source out

of the building


DRIVING FORCES OF POLLUTANT

TRANSPORT

Wind

Stack effect

HVAC system/fans

Flues and exhaust

Elevators


Impacts On Indoor Air Quality

HEATING,

VENTILATING,

AIR CONDITIONING

SYSTEMS

HVAC: CHALLENGES IN IAQ

Providing adequate outside air

Properly distributing the air

Maintaining thermal comfort

Managing energy vs. IAQ

Preventive maintenance

VENTILATION STANDARDS

ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 62.1-2010

Ventilation For Acceptable Indoor Air Quality

Specifies ventilation rates for buildings to control

IAQ

Dependent on the type of space e.g. (café,

office, etc)

Square footage of space

Number of occupants

HVAC COMPONENTS


Component Relevance to IAQ

•Coils and drain pans •Malfunctions/soiling of coil directly impact energy efficiency

•Standing water will accumulate with poor design or poor

maintenance. Microbial habitat will develop (e.g. mold)

•Humidification & dehumidification •Use potable rather than boiler water to avoid contamination

from boiler treatment chemicals

•Any wet surfaces should be drained and treated to prevent

microbial contamination

•Duct linings must remain dry

•Outside air dampers •Obstructions and malfunctions can prevent meeting

outside air requirements

•Air filters •Remove particles from the airstream

•Poor maintenance, poor fit and/or low efficiency filters can

compromise IAQ, clog coils, increase energy use

HVAC COMPONENTS



•Ducts • Excessive loading (construction, renovation) of dusts

•Uncontrolled moisture or condensation = mold

•Good maintenance in HVAC unit (coils, filters) = clean ducts

•Excessive leakage compromises IAQ and wastes energy

•<3% leakage is accepted

•Exhaust systems •Positive pressure = bring in more air than you exhaust

•Locate exhaust close to source

•Air should move toward, not away from source

•Maintain integrity of room

•Return air plenum •Often in ceiling plenum

•Obey codes preventing clutter and obstructions in air path

•No leaks for exhaust passing through RA plenum

•VAV boxes •Regulates the amount of supply air based on thermal needs

•Malfunctions can allow temperature & contaminant levels to increase

•Ensure minimum VAV box settings

HVAC COMPONENTS


•Cooling

towers

•Ideal incubator and vehicle for

microbial & bacterial growth

•Legionnaire’s disease

•Monitor chemical treatment and

water quality

•Boilers •Maintain gaskets and breaching to

prevent escape of exhaust gases (CO,

NOx)

•Prevent back drafting of flue gases by

maintaining the boiler room under

positive pressure to outside.

•Provide combustion air from directly

outside

•Situate exhaust stacks high enough

to prevent re-entrainment


THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTIVE

MAINTENANCE

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

A PM program provides

care to all mechanical

systems and components

The most important tool for

preventing IAQ problems

Facilities with PM programs

have fewer problems than

those without

Liability protection


DIAGNOSING & SOLVING IAQ PROBLEMS

DIAGNOSING & SOLVING

IAQ PROBLEMS

Industrial vs. commercial building

exposure

Hundreds of potential sources

IAQ depends on airflow, heat, humidity,

source emissions, occupant activities

& patterns, and ventilation

OVERLAPPING SYMPTOMATOLOGY


Symptom Potential Cause & Recommendation

•Coughing, congestion,

shortness of breath, fever,

chills

•Biological – microbial contamination, cooling tower, air handler,

water damage

•Chemical/particle – construction dusts, housekeeping

•Infection, allergic disease •Obtain info on causes for diagnosis

•Biological – microbial contamination, cooling tower, air handler,

water damage

•Swelling, itching, rash •Biological (mold, allergen)

•Fiberglass sources

•Renovation & remodeling contaminants – painting, sealants,

petroleum products

•Aerosols and cleaners

•Sinus headache •Biological (mold, allergen)

•Renovation & remodeling contaminants – painting, sealants,

petroleum products

ITERATIVE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS

Building Systems Approach

What are the conditions allowing

contaminant levels to rise?

Ventilation, filters, mixing, distribution

Improper source control

Maintenance & hygiene

Can symptoms help narrow your

investigation?

IAQ & LEED

IAQ Best Management Practices – IAQ

Management Program

I-BEAM: an educational tool and IAQ

Management program for Property/Facility

Managers

Intent: To enhance IAQ by optimizing practices

to prevent the development of IAQ problems in

buildings, correcting air quality problems when

they occur, and maintaining the well being of

the occupants

LEED EBOM – IEQ CREDIT 1.1

Develop and implement an ongoing basis,

an IAQ management program consistent

with the Indoor Air Quality Building

Education and Assessment Model (I-

BEAM).

Healthy Buildings Proactive IAQ & HVAC

Inspection Program (to satisfy credit 1.1)

– why go this route?

LEED EBOM EQ CREDIT 1.1 REQUIREMENTS

Determine Potentially Critical Ventilation

Zones (PCZs)

Examples of PCZs include conference

rooms, classrooms, break rooms, etc.

Use ASHRAE 62.1 62MZ calculator to

determine minimum O/A for each AHU

LEED EBOM IEQP1 – OUTDOOR AIR

INTRODUCTION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS

(PART 1)

Conduct outside air measurements at

each supply fan

Verify that cfm requirements of outside

air meet or exceed the calculations

Verify that existing outside air and

exhaust systems are ASHRAE compliant

Done under normal operating conditions

LEED EBOM IEQP1 – OUTDOOR AIR

INTRODUCTION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS

(PART 2)

Broken or inoperable dampers

AHUs out of sync with BMS (out of

calibration)

AHUs not operating

Obstructions at outside air intake

Best way to prevent these issues is good

preventive maintenance by engineering

team

LEED EBOM IEQP1 – POTENTIAL ISSUES

LEED NC IEQ CREDIT 3.1 – IAQ MANAGEMENT

PLAN (DURING CONSTRUCTION)

Based on SMACNA Guidelines

HVAC Protection

Pollutant Source Control

Control of Pollutant Pathways

Housekeeping Measures

Environmental Benchmarks

IEQ 3.1 - CONSTRUCTION IAQ MANAGEMENT PLANS

Uninstalled Insulation

correctly wrapped

Capped air return

duct

Poly screen across access door

Insulation on pallets

Air handler wrapped

Clean Conditions

Intent: reduce IAQ problems resulting

from the construction/renovation process

in order to help sustain the comfort and

well-being of construction workers &

building occupants

LEED NC IEQ CREDIT 3.2

EQ 3.2: IAQ MANAGEMENT PLAN, BEFORE

OCCUPANCY Two Paths for compliance

Path One:

After construction, prior to occupancy & with wall

finishes applied flush out building by supplying

14,000 cu. ft. of O/A per sq. ft. of floor area.

Maintain temp >= 60 deg. F, RH <= 60%.

Occupancy can occur prior to flush-out completion,

only after a minimum of 3,500 cu. Ft. O/A per sq. ft.

of floor area and continued until 14,000 cu. ft of O/A

per sq. ft. is met

EXAMPLE FLUSH-OUT TIMES

A building system capable of delivering:

0.3 CFM of OA/Sq. Ft.

Occupancy in approx. 8 days

Finish ventilation process in approx. 32 days

0.1 – 0.2 CFM of OA/Sq. Ft.

Occupancy in approx. 12 days

Finish ventilation process in approx. 48 days


OCCUPANCY Path Two:

Air Quality Testing Prior to Occupancy

After construction and prior to occupancy conduct baseline IAQ testing

Conducted prior to occupancy, during normal occupied hours, with normal HVAC schedule & minimum O/A flow rate for duration of testing.

All interior finishes must be installed. Furniture in place optional (Only for NC, required for CI)

Sampling locations: for each ventilation zone, # of sample points shall not be less than one per 25,000 sq. ft., or for each contiguous floor area, whichever is larger.

Demonstrate contaminant concentrations are below LEED mandated maximum levels as follows:


OCCUPANCY

Contaminant Maximum Concentration Sampling Method used by

Healthy Buildings

Formaldehyde

27 parts per billion

NIOSH 2016 equal to EPA

Method IP-6A

Particulates (PM 10)

50 micrograms per cubic meter

EPA IP-10A

Total Volatile Organic

Compounds (TVOC)

500 micrograms per cubic meter

EPA IP-1B

4-

Phenylcyclohexene

6.5 micrograms per cubic meter

EPA Method IP-1B

Carbon Monoxide

9 parts per million but not greater than 2

ppm above outdoor levels

EPA IP-3A

Prior to the IAQ test day and DURING TEST, refrain from construction activities (Mondays are ideal test days)

Prior to the IAQ test day, the building should be ventilated thoroughly

Healthy Buildings can rush samples to have results within 48 hours of sample completion

Testing for LEED projects can be phased in by completion of floor

Use real-time instrumentation just prior to and during testing

HEALTHY BUILDINGS GUIDELINES FOR

SUCCESSFUL IAQ TESTING

AIR SAMPLING EQUIPMENT

IEQ 3.2: IAQ SAMPLING

VS.

FLUSH-OUT

IAQ Sampling

Energy Consumption:

Minimal

Cost: Relatively LOW

Results Turnaround: Within days (And Guaranteed)

Flush-out*

Energy Consumption: HIGH

Cost: Relatively HIGH

Results Turnaround: Uncertain, depends on climate/system

*Mold Concerns have begun to be raised.

What is next in IAQ?......

LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE

• Named after 1976 tragedy at American Legion

conference in Philadelphia where 30 died, 220 fell ill.

• Is a serious form of pneumonia. While entire

population is vulnerable, most at risk include

smokers, the elderly, and immuno-compromised

persons.

• Most commonly contracted via inhalation of

legionella. Infection via aspiration can also occur.

• CDC estimates (August 2011) 18,000-20,000 LD

cases in the U.S. annually, with 10%-30% fatal. LD

has increased 217% over the last 10 years.

LEGIONELLA REGULATON IN THE

U.S. TO DATE

• Several existing industry & government guidelines

(guidelines < standards < laws [codes]).

• No consensus on best industry practices.

• Little or no scientific evidence for many existing

guideline recs.

• Many existing guideline recs prohibitively labor

intensive and expensive.

• National guidelines and legislation for the control

& prevention of Legionnaires’ Disease have been

in place in Europe and Australia for years.

ASHRAE STANDARD188 (1 OF 2)

• ASHRAE Std 188: Prevention of Legionellosis

Associated With Building Water Systems.

• Will require that those responsible for the building’s

water systems implement stronger legionella

safeguards through proactive risk assessment &

risk management practices.

• Written by engineering, microbiology, disease

prevention, and water treatment experts.

• Currently under public review; word on the street is

that it will be released in summer 2013.

ASHRAE STANDARD188 (2 OF 2)

• Covers:

Potable water systems

Cooling towers & evaporative condensers

Whirlpool spas

Decorative fountains

Aerosol-generating air coolers, humidifiers, washers

• Similar to ASHRAE Std 62 (Ventilation), Std 188 is

expected to be basis of building codes/regulations,

as well as de facto legal standard of care.

THE END

Healthy Buildings

25381 Commercentre Drive, Suite 150

Lake Forest, CA 92630

Tel (949) 450-1111

Fax (949) 450-1120

www.healthybuildings.com

[email protected]

http://www.healthybuildings.com/

Documents

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS LunchLEED_Healthy... · INDOOR AIR QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS Presenter: Sean McCrady, CMC,