Fwd: GG Sustainability Labs - Proposed Ideas for IAQ Study

[Laurie Catey]

Kirsten has a proposition for the next experiment(s) at the GG labs: 1. Measure indoor air quality/contaminant levels post-construction but pre-opening, to determine if construction materials are off-gassing and establish baselines for next steps. 2. Measure indoor air quality and CO2 levels inside greenhouse space before putting in the indoor plants. This is so we can see if plants make any difference in gas or contaminant levels in that space, and so we can compare that space to the rest of the building. 3. Measure IAQ/contaminants after construction, during a natural ventilation day and during a day when all is closed up to see if it makes any difference using mechanical vs. natural and to see if building IAQ is improving. 4. Measure IAQ/contaminants in the greenhouse after the plants have been in there doing their work for a while, and periodically, to see if plants make any difference. Do you have gear to do this or should I start searching for some? Are there other things we should be looking at? Yours, Kirsten (586) 212-8488

[Laurie Catey]

Kirsten, I like your proposition! It goes nicely with our study of our predictive controls strategy and environmental comfort measurements as well, so we can definitely use the data in more than one area.  Here are a few thoughts on the subject:

• To my knowledge, there are no regulations for IAQ measurement, only standards and guidelines put out by various organizations, and what actually gets measured may vary from project to project depending on what guidelines are used and who is taking the measurements. So, we would need to determine what guideline is relevant for our purposes, then see if we can get instrumentation to support that. Research in this area will be a bit time sensitive as IAQ has evolved significantly over the last say 10 years or so. Not a big deal; just something to keep in mind as we define the experiment further. I believe the EPA and/or NIOSH may have something useful.
• I have looked into doing IAQ measurement as part of my business offerings in the past, but the cost of the instrumentation, the need for frequent calibration, and the lack of clear, consistent standards has kept me from diving in. I have some of the necessary meters for temperature, humidity, and air movement, and I plan to add CO/CO2 in the very near future, but the particle counters, VOC sensor, formaldehyde sensor, etc. are a bit pricey, so I thought better to not invest in since it is not my main business currently. I have not done Radon testing, but I think that is something that you let sit for a period of time and then send to a lab (Ken Byz. may know more?). They are making more affordable models of almost everything in the measurement world now as there is more demand for instrumentation, so if we found something reasonable, I would not be opposed to considering adding it to my arsenal. But I guess we should figure out what we really need to measure first for what we hope to illustrate.
• Once we have our guideline selected and an idea of what instrumentation we have or need, then we would need to come up with our IAQ Measurement Plan so we know who, what, why, where, and when.

Perhaps we should start a Wiki page for this using our experiment Wiki template (something like Jamilah's)? Would it be possible to get one of our Wiki Wizards to develop a bona fide lab experiment template that we could use to start each time? Any volunteers?

[Laurie Catey]

NASA Study: House Plants Clean Air

Here is a link to an article on a study done by NASA on how house plants affect the environment, fye.

http://www.zone10.com/nasa-study-house-plants-clean-air.html

Highlights:

Philodendron, spider plant and the golden pothos were labeled the most effective in removing formaldehyde molecules. Flowering plants such as gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums were rated superior in removing benzene from the chamber atmosphere. Other good performers are Dracaena Massangeana, Spathiphyllum, and Golden Pothos. “Plants take substances out of the air through the tiny openings in their leaves,” Wolverton said. “But research in our laboratories has determined that plant leaves, roots and soil bacteria are all important in removing trace levels of toxic vapors”.

“Combining nature with technology can increase the effectiveness of plants in removing air pollutants,” he said. “A living air cleaner is created by combining activated carbon and a fan with a potted plant. The roots of the plant grow right in the carbon and slowly degrade the chemicals absorbed there,” Wolverton explains.

TOP 10 plants most effective in removing:
Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Carbon Monoxide from the air

• Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea Seifritzii
• Chinese Evergreen - Aglaonema Modestum
• English Ivy Hedera Helix
• Gerbera Daisy Gerbera Jamesonii
• Janet Craig - Dracaena “Janet Craig”
• Marginata - Dracaena Marginata
• Mass cane/Corn Plant - Dracaena Massangeana
• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Sansevieria Laurentii
• Pot Mum – Chrysantheium morifolium
• Peace Lily - Spathiphyllum
• Warneckii - Dracaena “Warneckii”