EFFECTS OF HVAC VENTILATION EFFICIENCY ON THE CONCENTRATIONS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND TOTAL VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS

摘要

Potential sources for emitting formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds are abundant in office buildings. Exposure to the above compounds may result in short-term, long-term, or carcinogenic effects at concentrations often measured. Our study conducts field measurements on six typical office buildings with different HVAC systems to evaluate the effects of ventilation efficiency on the concentration of formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). Formaldehyde and TVOC concentrations were measured by continuous photo-acoustic Multi-Gas monitor. The air-change rates were estimated by tracer gas concentration decay method in every test space. Air Exchange Efficiency (AEE) and Effective Ventilation Rate (EACH) were also calculated to characterize the ventilation pattern and mixing factor. Our results show that the increase of effective ventilation could reduce formaldehyde and TVOC in office buildings. We therefore suggest that increasing ventilation efficiency appears to be a plausible solution to diminish both formaldehyde and TVOC concentrations in office buildings.