Cover letter for indoor air quality assessment, Dept of Education

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Mr. Bernard P. Orlan October 29, 2001 Indoor Air Qualitj' Assessment Page 2 StuYvesant Hisih School (M477) ATCProiectNoM5H9125-0246

The assessment was performed consistent with generally accepted indoor air quality assessment practices. As with all such assessments, there were inherent limitations created by constraints of time, operational and work practice variability, variations in air contaminant concentrations, and sampling and analytical accuracy. The results of the sampling represent conditions found on the dates of the survey and may not represent conditions found at other times. The information presented in this report should be used by the Board, of Education as a guide to assess the need for further improvements in current indoor air quality control activities.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Currently, there are no regulatory standards for indoor air quality in non-industrial buildings, such as offices and schools. For the real-time data collected, ATC uses the commonly accepted guidelines cited in the following publications;

yentilation far Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (ASHRAE 62-J999}, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy (ASHRAE 55-J992); Industrial Hygienists Guide to Indoor Air Quality Investigations (1993), American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

Table 1 lists target guidelines for the parameters that ATC evaluated during this investigation. Meeting one, some, or all of the listed values does not assure that acceptable indoor air quality will be achieved at all times.

TABLE 1 TARGET GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY PARAMETERS EVALUATED

PARAMETER TARGET EEVEL.:;;\' ■ ■AGENCY,,OR ORG'ANIZATlOS' Carbon Dioxide <700 parts per million (ppm) ASHRAE 62 (CO2)_____________ above background level Carbon Monoxide 9 ppm USEPA NPAAQS (as cited in (CO) ASHRAE 62) Respirable 65 micrograms per cubic meter USEPA NPAAQS Particulates (PM?,5) of air (p.g/m3) 24-hour average Temperature Summer; 73-79°F at 50% RH ASHRAE 55 Winter; 69-76°F at 50% RH Relative Humidity ■30 - 60 % ASHRAE 55 Total Volatile I ppm Organic Compounds AIHA (TVOC)- USEPA = United States Environmental Protection Agency NPAAQS = National Primary Ambient-Air Quality Standard AIHA = American Industrial Hygiene Association

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