Investigation of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort of a College Building in Hyderabad, India

The aim of this present study is to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort (TC) of the class and faculty rooms at a college in Hyderabad, India. The concentrations of air pollution at class and faculty rooms available across four floors were determined with the help of indoor air quality monitoring equipment. The measurements were conducted continuously in the indoor and outdoor environment for 07 months with the variation in two different seasons such as monsoon and winter. The collected data were analyzed and compared with the Indian green building code (IGBC). Different parameters such as temperature, carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon mono-oxide (CO), oxygen (O₂), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and particulate matter (PM 2.5 & 10) were analyzed.

The mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in all four floors were slightly above the IGBC standards in monsoon seasons and higher in winter seasons. Indoor PM 10 was higher as per IGBC in the winter season as compared with that in monsoon season. TVOC, CO, and CO₂ showed significantly higher in class and faculty rooms of all the four floors in both seasons. The predicted mean vote (PMV) index shows a significantly cold when compared with the thermal sensation scale which can accelerate the respiratory tract infectious diseases. Each floor shows different concentration levels of all the above-mentioned IAQ parameters.

A questionnaire was developed, and a survey was conducted to analyze the comfort indices and responsible conditions for dissatisfactory factors. The results obtained from the daily monitoring parameters were compared with the survey questionnaire. The inferences were developed based on the PM 2.5 & 10 and CO₂ concentration levels. Based on the obtained inferences and as per the IGBC standards specific suggestions were given to alter the building physiology.