Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Portland State University

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Indoor air quality

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Experimental Evaluations Of The Impact Of An Additive Oxidizing Electronic Air Cleaner On Particles And Gases, Yicheng Zeng, Aurélie Laguerre, Elliott T. Gall, Mohammad Heidarinejad, Brent Stephens Apr 2023

Experimental Evaluations Of The Impact Of An Additive Oxidizing Electronic Air Cleaner On Particles And Gases, Yicheng Zeng, Aurélie Laguerre, Elliott T. Gall, Mohammad Heidarinejad, Brent Stephens

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electronic air cleaning (EAC) technologies have garnered significant attention for use in buildings. Many EAC technologies rely on the addition of reactive constituents to indoor air to react with gas-phase compounds, enhance particle deposition, and/or inactivate microorganisms. However, limited data are available on the efficacy of many EAC technologies and their potential to form chemical byproducts during operation. Here we experimentally evaluate the indoor air quality impacts, specifically targeting particles and gases but not microbial constituents, of a commercially available additive oxidizing EAC that generates positive and negative ions and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Tests were conducted in a large unoccupied …


Monitored Indoor Environmental Quality Of A Mass Timber Office Building: A Case Study, Jason Stenson, Suzanne L. Ishaque, Aurélie Laguerre, Andrew Loia, Georgia Maccrone, Ignace Mugabo, Dale Northcutt, Mariapaola Riggio, Andre Barbosa, Elliott T. Gall, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg Jan 2019

Monitored Indoor Environmental Quality Of A Mass Timber Office Building: A Case Study, Jason Stenson, Suzanne L. Ishaque, Aurélie Laguerre, Andrew Loia, Georgia Maccrone, Ignace Mugabo, Dale Northcutt, Mariapaola Riggio, Andre Barbosa, Elliott T. Gall, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A broad range of building performance monitoring, sampling, and evaluation was conducted periodically after construction and spanning more than a year, for an occupied office building constructed using mass timber elements such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor and roof panels, as well as glue-laminated timber (GLT) beams and columns. This case study contributes research on monitoring indoor environmental quality in buildings, describing one of the few studies of an occupied mass timber building, and analyzing data in three areas that impact occupant experience: indoor air quality, bacterial community composition, and floor vibration. As a whole, the building was found to …


Effectiveness Of Indoor Plants For Passive Removal Of Indoor Ozone, Omed A. Abbass, David J. Sailor, Elliott T. Gall Jul 2017

Effectiveness Of Indoor Plants For Passive Removal Of Indoor Ozone, Omed A. Abbass, David J. Sailor, Elliott T. Gall

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Indoor vegetation is often proposed as a passive approach for improving indoor air quality. While studies of outdoor environments indicate that vegetation can be an important sink of outdoor ozone, there is scant data in the literature concerning the dynamics of ozone uptake by indoor plants. This study determined ozone deposition velocities (vd) for five common indoor plants (Peace Lily, Ficus, Calathia, Dieffenbachia, Golden Pothos). The transient vd was calculated, using measured leaf areas for each plant, for exposures mimicking three diurnal cycles where ozone concentrations in chamber tests were elevated for 8 h followed by …


Investigating Co2 Removal By Ca- And Mg-Based Sorbents With Application To Indoor Air Treatment, Elliott T. Gall, Cem Sonat, William W. Nazaroff, Cise Unluer Dec 2016

Investigating Co2 Removal By Ca- And Mg-Based Sorbents With Application To Indoor Air Treatment, Elliott T. Gall, Cem Sonat, William W. Nazaroff, Cise Unluer

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Indoor carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels serve as an indicator of ventilation sufficiency in relation to metabolic effluents. Recent evidence suggests that elevated CO 2 exposure (with or without other bioeffluents) may cause adverse cognitive effects. In shelter-in-place (SIP) facilities, indoor CO 2 levels may become particularly elevated. This study evaluates four low-cost alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides as CO 2 sorbents for potential use in indoor air cleaning applications. Sorbents studied were MgO, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 and commercially available soda lime. Uncarbonated sorbents characterized with nitrogen adsorption porosimetry showed BET surface areas in the 5.6–27 …


Effect Of Fiber Material On Ozone Removal And Carbonyl Production From Carpets, Omed A. Abbass, David J. Sailor, Elliott T. Gall Oct 2016

Effect Of Fiber Material On Ozone Removal And Carbonyl Production From Carpets, Omed A. Abbass, David J. Sailor, Elliott T. Gall

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Indoor air quality is affected by indoor materials such as carpets that may act as sources and/or sinks of gas-phase air pollutants. Heterogeneous reactions of ozone with carpets may result in potentially harmful products. In this study, indoor residential carpets of varying fiber types were tested to evaluate their ability to remove ozone, and to assess their role in the production of carbonyls when exposed to elevated levels of ozone. Tests were conducted with six types of new unused carpets. Two sets of experiments were conducted, the first measured ozone removal and ozone deposition velocities, and the second measured primary …