Indoor Environment

The Indoor Environment Group performs research that aims to maintain healthy and productive indoor environments while buildings are made more energy efficient. We study the links between indoor environmental quality, building ventilation, and building energy efficiency, and the occupants’ health, performance, and comfort. We undertake experiments in laboratory and field settings and employ modeling to characterize indoor environmental conditions and evaluate the fate, transport, and chemical transformations of indoor pollutants. 

Key Topics:Ashtray

  • Ventilation
    • technologies, energy implications, standards, impacts on health and performance
  • Pollutant sources, transport, and chemical transformations
  • Indoor air quality control
    • novel approaches, impacts on energy consumption

Group Leader
William Fisk

Deputy Group Leaders
Brett Singer & Hugo Destaillats

Indoor Environment Group Staff

Related Publications

Submitted

Mathieu, Johanna L., Ashok J. Gadgil, Duncan S. Callaway, Phillip N. Price, and Sila Kiliccote. Characterizing the Response of Commercial and Industrial Facilities to Dynamic Pricing Signals from the Utility., Submitted. Download: PDF (513.21 KB)
Shendell, Derek G., Alfred T. Hodgson, S. M. Lee, Michael G. Apte, Douglas P. Sullivan, Toshifumi Hotchi, and William J. Fisk. VOCs in New Relocatable Classrooms: Assessment of School-Day Exposures Comparing Interior Finish Materials and HVAC Systems., Submitted.
Parthasarathy, S., Randy L. Maddalena, M. L. Russell, and Michael G. Apte. Effect of Temperature and Humidity on Formaldehyde., Submitted. Download: 
Shendell, Derek G., S. M. Lee, Michael G. Apte, Dennis L. DiBartolomeo, Douglas P. Sullivan, Shawna M. Liff, William J. Fisk, and Leo I. Rainer. Assessment of Noise Exposures in New Relocatable Classrooms with Standard and Advanced HVAC Systems., Submitted.
Timko, Michael T., Zhenhong Yu, Jesse Kroll, John T. Jayne, Douglas R. Worsnop, Richard C. Miake-Lye, Timothy B. Onasch, David Liscinsky, Thomas W. Kirchstetter, Hugo Destaillats et al. Sampling Artifacts from Conductive Silicone Tubing., Submitted.
Wang, Yungang, Philip K. Hopke, O. V. Rattigan, David C. Chalupa, and M. J. Utell. Multiple Year Black Carbon Measurement and Source Apportionment using Delta-C in Rochester, NY., Submitted.

2013

Wang, Yungang, Jiaoyan Huang, Philip K. Hopke, Oliver V. Rattigan, David C. Chalupa, Mark J. Utell, and Thomas M. Holsen. "Effect of the shutdown of a large coal-fired power plant on ambient mercury species." Chemosphere 92, no. 4 (2013): 360-367.

LBNL-6097E
Fisk, William J.. "Health benefits of particle filtration." Indoor Air (2013).
Sidheswaran, M. A., Wenhao Chen, Agatha Chang, Robert Miller, Sebastian Cohn, Douglas P. Sullivan, William J. Fisk, Kazukiyo Kumagai, and Hugo Destaillats. "Formaldehyde emissions from ventilation filters under different relative humidity conditions." Environmental Science and Technology (2013).
Mendell, Mark J., Ekaterina Eliseeva, M. G. Davies, Michael Spears, Agnes B. Lobscheid, William J. Fisk, and Michael G. Apte. "Association of Classroom Ventilation with Reduced Illness Absence: A Prospective Study in California Elementary Schools." Indoor Air (2013).
Zazueta, Ana Luisa Loo, Hugo Destaillats, and Gianluca Li Puma. "Radiation field modeling and optimization of a compact and modular multi-plate photocatalytic reactor (MPPR) for air/water purification by Monte Carlo method." Chemical Engineering Journal 217 (2013): 475-485.
Rosseler, Olivier, Mohamad Sleiman, Nahuel V. Montesinos, Andrey Shavorskiy, Valerie Keller, Nicolas Keller, Marta I. Litter, Hendrik Bluhm, Miquel Salmeron, and Hugo Destaillats. "Chemistry of NOx on TiO2 surfaces studied by ambient pressure XPS: products, effect of UV irradiation, water and coadsorbed K+." J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, no. 3 (2013): 536-541.
Maddalena, Randy L., Na Li, Alfred T. Hodgson, F. J. Offerman, and Brett C. Singer. Maximizing Information from Residential Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2013.

LBNL-6120E

 Download: PDF (631.97 KB)
Fisk, William J., Usha Satish, Mark J. Mendell, Toshifumi Hotchi, and Douglas P. Sullivan. "Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant? Higher Levels of CO2 May Diminish Decision Making Performance." ASHRAE Journal 55, no. 3 (2013): 84-85.

LBNL-6148E

 Download: PDF (691.12 KB)
Wang, Yungang, Michael D. Sohn, Ashok J. Gadgil, Yilun Wang, Kathleen M. Lask, and Thomas W. Kirchstetter. How many replicate tests do I need? – Variability of cookstove performance and emissions has implications for obtaining useful results. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2013.

LBNL-6119E

 Download: PDF (1.18 MB)
Noris, Federico, William W. Delp, Kimberly Vermeer, Gary Adamkiewicz, Brett C. Singer, and William J. Fisk. "Protocol for maximizing energy savings and indoor environmental quality improvements when retrofitting apartments." Energy and Buildings 61 (2013): 378-386.

LBNL-6147E

 Download: PDF (1.21 MB)
Dutton, Spencer M., Wanyu R. Chan, Mark J. Mendell, Marcella Barrios, S. Parthasarathy, Meera Sidheswara, Douglas P. Sullivan, Ekaterina Eliseeva, and William J. Fisk. Evaluation of the Indoor Air Quality Procedure for Use in Retail Buildings. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2013.

LBNL-6079E

 Download: PDF (1.33 MB)

2012

Kota, S. H., Hui Zhang, Qi Ying, and Yungang Wang. "Black Carbon Emission from Barbeque Activities during College Football Games." In A&WMA International Conference on Aerosol/Atmospheric Optics: Visibility and Air Pollution. Whitefish, MT, 2012.
Bennett, Deborah H., William J. Fisk, Michael G. Apte, X. Wu, Amber L. Trout, David Faulkner, and Douglas P. Sullivan. "Ventilation, temperature, and HVAC characteristics in small and medium commercial buildings in California." Indoor Air 22, no. 4 (2012): 309-20.
Satish, Usha, Mark J. Mendell, Krishnamurthy Shekhar, Toshifumi Hotchi, Douglas P. Sullivan, Siegfried Streufert, and William J. Fisk. "Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant? Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO2 Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance." Environmental Health Perspectives 120, no. 12 (2012): 1671-1677.

LBNL-6196E
Holder, Amara L., BJ Carter, Regine Goth-Goldstein, Donald Lucas, and C. P. Koshland. "Increased Cytotoxicity of Oxidized Flame Soot." Atmospheric Pollution Research 3, no. 2012 (2012): 25-31.
Destaillats, Hugo, Mohamad Sleiman, Douglas P. Sullivan, Catherine Jacquiod, Jean Sablayrolles, and Laurent Molins. "Key parameters influencing the performance of photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) air purification under realistic indoor conditions." Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 128 (2012): 159-170.
Holder, Amara L., BJ Carter, Regine Goth-Goldstein, Donald Lucas, and C. P. Koshland. "Increased Cytotoxicity of Oxidized Flame Soot." Atmospheric Pollution Research 3, no. 2012 (2012): 25-31.
Sidheswaran, M. A., Hugo Destaillats, Douglas P. Sullivan, Sebastian Cohn, and William J. Fisk. "Energy efficient indoor VOC air cleaning with activated carbon fiber (ACF) filters." Building and Environment 47 (2012): 368-372. Download: PDF (933.31 KB)
Chan, Wanyu R., M. A. Sidheswaran, Douglas P. Sullivan, Sebastian Cohn, and William J. Fisk. "Contaminant levels and source strengths in U.S. retail stores A pilot study." In Healthy Buildings 2012 - 10th International Conference. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, 2012. Download: PDF (1.53 MB)