Investigations of Ventilation Rate, Smoking Activity and Indoor Air Quality at Four Large Office Buildings

Four large office buildings were investigated to assess relationships among ventilation rate, smoking activity, and indicators of indoor air quality. Inspections of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems indicated that they were adequately designed, operated, and maintained. During the tests, all four HVAC systems provided ventilation rates essentially conforming to ASHRAE Standard 62-1989. IAQ indicators included respirable suspended particles, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Environmental tobacco smoke indicators included ultraviolet particulate matter, fluorescent particulate matter, and nicotine. Results show that with the HVAC systems adequately designed, operated in accordance with the current ASHRAE Standard, and properly maintained, all indicators were below applicable standards, regardless of smoking policy.