Feasibility study of an indoor air quality measurement protocol on 12 parameters in mechanically ventilated and air-conditioned buildings

The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department has recently launched a set of guidance notes on indoor air quality (IAQ) management for offices and public places. An IAQ Certification Programme will be conducted on a self-regulatory basis that is intended to divide IAQ in mechanically ventilated buildings into three classes. Due to the large number of buildings in Hong Kong and the associated cost implications, a simplified, operationally feasible and scientifically sound assessment has been developed. Twenty-five government buildings covering eight different types of premises were examined in a trial-run programme to verify the validity of the proposed methodology. Among these 25 premises, only 1 (4%) achieved level 1 while 11 (44%) achieved the level 2 objective. The remaining 13 premises (52%) met the level 3 objective. High concentrations of volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide were found to be the dominating parameters that made a building unable to meet class level 2. This measurement study has also illustrated the very different nature of IAQ found in different types of buildings where the pattern of air conditioning operation and indoor air pollutant sources can influence it substantially.