- Author
- Dols, W. S. | Persily, A. K.
- Title
- Ventilation and Air Quality Investigation of the U.S. Geological Survey Building.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- Geological Survey, Reston, VA
- Report
- NISTIR 89-4126, July 1989, 44 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- ventilation; buildings; air quality; laboratories; odors; air flow; heating; measurement; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; radon; concentration (composition); formaldehyde; standards; recommendations; improvement; graphs (charts)
- Identifiers
- indoor air pollution; tracer gas tests
- Abstract
- The National Center of the U.S. Geological Survey in suburban Washington, DC is a seven story building containing both office and laboratory space. Based on a history of occupant complaints regarding the air quality within the building, an investigation was conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to quantify the ventilation characteristics of the building and to determine the indoor levels of selected indoor pollutants. The investigation of the building included measurements of air exchange rates using the tracer gas decay technique and measurements of indoor concentrations of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, formaldehyde and particulates. The measurement results are compared to appropriate standards and guidelines in order to investigate the role of ventilation and pollutant concentrations in the indoor air quality complaints. Based on the investigation, several recommendations are made to improve the environmental conditions within the building.