Evaluation of the occupant perception of air quality within the indoor setting in the composite climate of Delhi
Pooja Agarwal*, Jay Dhariwal
IIT Delhi, India
DOI: 10.62744/CATE.45273.1154-351-361
Email: ddz208074@iitd.ac.in
Abstract:
In India, the ill effects of a poor indoor environment are seen as the cause of about 2 million premature deaths per year, wherein 44% are due to pneumonia, 54% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 2% from lung cancer. Conventional studies typically take lesser consideration of indoor occupancy than would be found in real surroundings. These studies often evolve in artificial conditions, which lack authenticity. This work uses field research and a data-driven approach to assess contaminants in inhabited indoor spaces, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5) along with indoor climate measurements of Indoor Operative Temperature (IOT), Relative Humidity (RH), and air velocity. This paper reports the findings of a pilot field study carried out to understand the effect of CO2, IOT, PM2.5, RH, age, sex, general health condition, and perception of odours on occupant?s perception of IAQ and perceived thermal comfort, during the summer monsoon season in the composite climate of Delhi. Participants were asked to rate their perceived thermal comfort on standardized
scales and provide PIAQ votes based on their satisfaction with indoor air quality. Data analysis included
correlation analyses and multiple regression modelling. Our findings reveal a statistically significant inverse relationship between perceived Indoor Air Quality (PIAQ) votes and perceived thermal comfort. Building occupants who rated the indoor air quality more favourably (higher PIAQ votes) tended to report lower levels of perceived thermal comfort, while those who expressed dissatisfaction with indoor air quality reported higher thermal comfort levels.
Keywords: Thermal Sensation, Perceived Indoor Air Quality, Correlation, CO2, PM2.5