Solution to air pollution indoors is very much dilution

We need to have the ventilation system designed with the right kind of filtration.

Indoor spaces and how we think of our buildings Sometimes, you know, we as engineer’s think that this is the right approach for any building and every building. But it comes from the users that no, this is not the right approach, it should be dependent on how the space has been used by him or how the utility of the space has been defined by the users or the administration of that building. So that becomes a very vital part of our design and engineering.

Whenever we talk about especially the indoor air quality parameters and the solutions, it should take care of the occupants. The damage to health because of air pollution has been so large and it is on increase, I would say it is on higher side if we compared to the last 10 years, then you can say that as per WHO 3.8 million deaths have been occurring per year. And due to that, we are losing $4.5 trillion every year on economy side. So, it is a huge loss not only to the humankind, but also on the economic side. So, whether we are ready for this kind of loss or whether we are ready for this kind of Covid transmissions, it is up to us that how we think that our buildings or our spaces should be designed in such a way that we are being taken care whenever I’m in hospital, I’m in office, I’m in my gym, school or wherever I am.

Whatever the indoor space has been designed, has it been designed with full attention with full kind of care, I would say, which needs to take care of the solution that could provide me the total interactive environment as well as the protective environment. So, whether we talk about the diseases, talk about cancer, tuberculosis, bronchitis, any disease, which is related to lungs and heart, we are very disheartened to listen to all Covid related news, but may be very few people also might know that these 3.8 million figures are coming from deaths due to air pollution. So, it is a number in front of you.

And, we need to think as a joint venture and experts must follow the steps, they are in making and designing their building spaces more efficient in terms of energy as well as the wellness. So yes, the solution to air pollution indoors is very much dilution. But may I ask one question that does anybody account for care for healthy lifestyle or air in their healthy lifestyle? Have you ever heard a word called air lifestyle? You know, we have food lifestyle, we are now progressing towards organic food and organic this and organic drinks and all that. But have you ever tried talking about the air lifestyle with your friends with your colleagues with your roommates!

So, air has impacted people in several forms. We have been seeing that mostly in the form of cognitive ability of people, and it is impacting from childhood till the middle age and so on and so forth, the cognitive abilities of people have been derived by the CO2 levels and the oxygen levels inside the room wherever we are occupied and we are doing our work.

So, the ventilation, the air quality, air improving cleaners or air purifiers, we can call it as the monitoring systems. So, what we have seen in the past that seven out of 10 dirtiest cities or I would say polluted cities in the world, are present in India. We are talking in this good forum. That’s why we are talking, and this is something which we need to talk more often, that if seven out of 10 cities, polluted cities are present in India, then why we are not doing anything in our pollution also. So, this is the joint responsibility, I would urge all of you to talk about outdoor pollution as well, while talking about the indoor air pollution, how each and every one of us can do something which can lower down the outdoor air pollution levels also. So right back to the indoor air pollution, starting from ventilation, it is absolutely right that air changes per hour increases, but we can’t have the fully ventilated spaces, because outdoor air is also polluted. And we do not have the ability or I would say the rights to have natural ventilated spaces in the cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore.

Filters in ventilation

So, we need to have the ventilation system designed with the right kind of filtration, what is that right kind of filtration, do we know about the right kind of filtration? How do we address that? So, that depends on the outdoor city level pollution, it needs to be taken care that where I’m designing the building, what kind of building orientation is. Is it a very rural space, is it a very polluted space, is it very near to the industrial space or sometimes, I have seen the buildings being designed – starting the building at the shores of open drain edges, you will be amassed to see that we were shocked when we saw the results of the harmful gases which are coming out of that open drainage? So, we have to design the ventilation systems as for those harmful gases, which should not enter into my building and which should protect my occupants accordingly. So, whether my system is being designed for those pollutants, the pollutants which are in which are varied in nature of particulate matter, 10 PM 2.5 PM, people are talking about One PM also. But, are we talking about CO2!

The recent study published this: that even during last year 2020 – the full lockdown period they have tested the ozone levels in the cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The ozone levels were above the threshold levels, even in the lockdowns and we have been studying in all our literature that ozone have been produced because of the NOx which is being produced by the regular movement and the sunlight. If the regular movement was not there, if the industrial movement was not there; then from where the ozone levels have gone up. This is the question which we have to ask while designing the ventilation system whether my system has been designed to take care of all these pollution and pollutants or not. You know starting from G grade going up to the MERV 14, MERV 15 filters including the chemical filtration which is broadly known as gas filters which take care of these gases, can help you to design good ventilation systems and having the appropriate air changes. At the same time, you will have to keep in mind what kind of energy levels you are using.

Indoor air purifiers

Coming to the air purifiers which are indoor air purifiers; one of the aspects which people think that putting the air purifier is the only solution to the air pollution. I’m giving you the example of Delhi. People think that I have bought the recent air purifier from the market which has been launched and now I am okay with the indoor air Quality This is a myth associated with the air cleaners, air cleaners need to be installed in the specific zone in the specific manner. You have to be sure what kind of air changes it is bringing air changes of that clean air has to be calculated beforehand, so that you are aware that in how much time or in one hour how many cleaners’ changes would happen with this air cleaner. Most of the industrial belt of Noida is actually open to the open nalas actually facing you know. One phase of the building is normally facing towards that open drainage system in mostly in greater Noida. So, they will have to install the gaseous filters more and more and they will have to be dependent on these kinds of systems where gases are controlled and does their occupants are not having the ailments or the diseases because of these gases present.

Filtration strategies and technologies

So, we need to keep in mind both strategies, and when we are talking about the strategies about care cleaners, can it be applied to the larger buildings with AHUs with the different kinds of HVAC system. Yes, it can be defined and it is normally very easy, but yes, it increases cost, it increases the cost of energy as well. But when we talk about the combination of some kind of technologies, which are present in today’s world, the combination of UV on coil and some kind of filtration and the return air could give you perfect results. If you compare the results of that combination with a MERV13 or MERV14 or MERV15 filter, you will see those results and you can actually purify and filter the air through that combination very easily.

You know hemp are structured air cleaners, which can provide you all kinds of relief from this kind of baskets of pollutants, which are all around us. And this technology needs to be bought carefully. When it is tested, certified and proven. You need to be sure when you are putting something in your home or in your office or in your bedroom or in your healthcare facility or in your gym, then you should be sure that are we doing the right thing in terms of indoor air quality.

So, it’s not the matter of only air cleaners, it’s the matter of ventilation plus air cleaners getting. Having said that and done, everything is in place, ventilation is in place air quality cleaners or air cleaners or duty fires are in place. What are you going to do about this whole picture? The air quality monitors play a very vital role in this when you have air quality monitors. It helps both ways. Whatever the technology adopted is giving you the appropriate results. Whenever we do the commissioning projects we always talk about as per design. But actually, the real time continuous monitoring gives you the actual and real time data and that will validate your design: every hour, every minute. You can validate your design, it’s not one time job by any third-party commissioning agent. It’s the job of every hour every minute you are breathing in that space. So that is how it helps.

The second way of helping it is communicating, it is a method of communication to your employees to your subordinates, to your colleagues to your friends that I’m breathing a good air or am breathing a bad air, I need to do something. And that helps you to bridge the gap. And that becomes a very, very solid kind of, I would say, full cycle where you can have the improvisation areas, you have the data with you, and you can present it to your management with the data that this is what we want. This is what we have adopted. With this adoption, I’m achieving this much result, but I want to do better, and how to do better, that becomes a technology bar.