5/2/2011 SCHOOL COMMITTEE Minutes

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r Appendix A Carbon Dioxide and its Use in Evaluating Adequacy of ventilation in Buildings The Bureau of Environmental Health's(BEH) Indoor Air'Quality 1AQ Program examines indoor air quality conditions that may have an effect ori building occupants. The status of the ventilation system, potential moisture problems/microbial growth and identification of respiratory irritants are examined in detail, which are described in the attached report. In order to examine the function of the ventilation system, measurements for carbon dioxide, temperature and relative humidity are taken. Carbon dioxide measurements are commonly used to assess the adequacy of ventilation within an indoor environment. Carbon dioxide is an odorless, colorless gas. It is found naturally in the environment and is produced in the respiration process of living beings. Another source of carbon dioxide is the burning of Fossil fuels. C rbo n dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is approximately 250- 600 ppm(Beard, 1982; NIOSH, 1957 . Carbon dioxide measurements within an occupied building are a standard method used t gauge the adequacy of ventilation systems. Carbon dioxide is used in this process for a number of reasons, Any occupied building will have normally r occurring environmental pollutants in its interior. Human beings produce waste heat,moisture and carbon dioxide as by-products of the respiration process. Equipment,plants, cleaning products or supplies normally found in any building can produce gases, vapors, fumes or dusts when in use. If a building has an adequately operating mechanical ventilation system,these normally occurring envirommental pollutants will be diluted and removed from the interior of the building. The introduction of fresh air both increases the comfort of the occupants and serves to dilute normally occurring environmental pollutants. Appendix A, page 1