Indoor Air Quality In India: Need

and Concerns

Mukesh Khare, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Delhi
Presented in Workshop on Indoor Air quality addressing the issue through
partnership between government, business and communities
 Indoor Air Pollution- Statistics
• Approximately half the world’s population and up to 90% of rural households in
developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels such as wood, dung
and crop residues.

• Nation-wide about 78% of the Indian population relied upon the biomass fuels and
about 3% on coal.

• Indoor air pollution is responsible for 2.7% of the global burden of disease and has
been ranked among top 10 risk factors.

• Approximately 2.0 million deaths and 39 million disability-adjusted life years

(DALYS) (mainly of women and children) a year are due to unvented burning of
biomass for cooking and heating; and about half million of total deaths in India
itself (WHO, 2002).

• India has largest burden of disease due to the use of dirty household fuels and 28%
of all deaths are due to indoor air pollution in developing countries occur in India.
• Pollutant released indoors is one thousand times more likely to reach people’s
lung than a pollutant released outdoors.
 What is IAQ??

IAQ refers to the quality of the air inside buildings as

represented by concentrations of pollutants and thermal
conditions that affect the health and performance of
occupants.

It refers to the nature/ quality of the conditioned (heat/cool)
air that circulates throughout closed space/ area, where we
work and live and breath the air.
 The Causes
 Inadequate ventilation and air 4%
5%
tightness
10%
 Variations in temperature and Inadequate ventilation
humidity levels Inside contamination
Unknown causes
 Indoor sources including 13%
53% Outside contamination
Bioaerosols
combustion Building products

 Infiltration of outdoor air 15%

contaminants
 Use of cleaning chemicals
and building products
 Urban Built Environments
 Residential buildings
 Commercial buildings
 Office buildings
 Institutional complexes
 Malls
 Health care centres/hospitals
Indoor Pollutants
 Building Materials – Heavy Metals, VOCs, Radon,
Mineral Fibers etc.
 Paints – Heavy Metals
 Electronic Equipments- Respirable Organic Particulates,
Ozone and VOCs.
 Carpets - VOC’S
 Cleaning compounds/Cosmetics/Deodorants: Organics and
VOCs
 Combustion Sources- RSPM, NOx, SO2 , CO
 Health Effects
Pollutant Type Effects
NO2 Immediate irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, cough etc.

CO Immediate headache, shortness of breath, higher conc. May cause

sudden deaths.
RSPM Cumulative Respiratory Illness (upper and lower), Acute (Asthma)
and chronic (COPD), Lung cancer,

SO2 Immediate lung disorders and shortness of breath

Radon Cumulative Lung cancer
Formaldehyde Immediate irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, fatigue,
headache, skin allergies, vomiting etc.
Asbestos Cumulative Lung cancer
Pesticides Immediate Skin diseases
VOCs Immediate Liver, kidney disorders, irritation to the eyes, nose and
throat, skin rashes and respiratory problems.
O3 Immediate eyes itch, burn, respiratory disorders, lowers our
resistance to colds and pneumonia.
 WHO Guidelines

1. Concentration based - PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO2, SO2, O3,

Asbestos, Formaldehyde (Reference: WHO, 2006)

2. New WHO guidelines are formed on the basis of exposure

levels, which gives an objective measure of health risk
and is used as reference point for design and maintenance
of safe indoor environments - Benzene, CO,
Formaldehyde, Naphthalene, NO2, PAH, Radon, Ethylene,
Dampness and Moulds (Reference: WHO, 2010)
 IAQ Standards
1. Canada
2. Singapore
3. UK
4. Germany
5. USA
6. China
7. ASHRAE (Ventilation)
8. S. Korea
 IAQ: Indian Context
A standard IAQ Protocol is under process of development

The protocol is a check list for establishing a IAQ study in India that
includes sampling, monitoring, and analysis and prediction of IAQ similar
to NAAQM programme

The Protocol Team

IIT Delhi: Prof. Mukesh Khare
NEERI: Dr. Anjali Shrivastava, Dr. Radha Goyal, Dr. S.K. Goyal
CPCB: Dr. D. Saha
Delhi University: Dr. Priyanka Kulshrestha
 The IAQ protocol
Indoor Air
Quality

Urban Rural
Localities Localities

Natural +
Mechanically HVAC Naturally
Ventilated Buildings buildings Ventilated
Ventilation Buildings
Characterization + measurement of
ventilation

Identification of
contaminants/ their
sources

Monitoring of contaminant levels at

Data
interpretation/analysis
(exploratory/statistical)
Prediction of IAQ
various locations (at least 3 locations
in each building type)
Record of occupant’s
health complains
(questionnaire study) Laying down the standards/limits for
various contaminants and ventilation
Identification of parameters for different building types by
Control measures Govt. Bodies
 The IAQ Protocol
Selection of type of building.
Conducting an IAQ building audit
Diagnosing IAQ related health problems
Selection of pollutants of concern corresponding to the type of building
Designing the monitoring programme of selected pollutants of concern
Setting up of IAQ guideline values for selected pollutants
Establishing an IAQ management and maintenance program to reduce IAQ
risks
Protecting occupants from exposures to construction/renovation
contaminants; and
Calculating the cost, revenue, and productivity impacts of planned IAQ
activities
 Methodology
 Environmental
Measurements

 Building and Ventilation

Characterization

 Occupant Questionnaire
Team Members
 Environmental Scientist
 Epidemiologist (public health expert)
 Building Design Engineer (Architect)
 HVAC Engineer
 Building Manager (management person)
 Analyst
 IAQ Research at IIT Delhi

IAQ Research group

Prof. Mukesh Khare
Dr. Vinita Katiyar (Presently in IGNOU)
Dr. Radha Goyal (Presently in NEERI, Zonal Lab. Delhi)
Dr. Priyanka Kulshreshtha (Presently in DU)
“Study of Indoor Air Environment”, M. Tech
Dissertation, Civil Engineering Department, IIT
Delhi, 1994.

Scope of work: IAQ investigation of IIT Delhi

library (Air conditioned), IC Engine, Inorganic and
Physical Chemistry Laboratories (all naturally
ventilated).
Findings

A direct relation between

average SBS score and
CO2 concentration was
found to exist i.e. the
average SBS score
increased with CO2
concentration and vice
versa.
Findings

The study showed that

the critical factor for IAQ
for the naturally
ventilated buildings is not
the total window area but
the window area per
occupant and per unit
floor area.
“Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality in a Centrally Air
Conditioned Airport Authority Building”, M. S
Dissertation, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT
Delhi, Best Master Dissertation Award by Indian
Society for Technical Education (ISTE), India, 2001.

Findings:

 Concentrations of pollutants were complying

with IAQ standards as given by ASHRAE and
WHO. The SBS was higher on the third floor as
compared to other floors and the control tower.

 The main symptoms prevailing were headache

(51%), lethargy (50%), and dryness in body mucous
(33%). The third floor and the control tower were
affected by infiltration, mainly from entrance doors.
Title: “Environmental Evaluation of Public Building With
Respect to IAQ”.

Sponsored by: MHRD

Duration: 2000-2001

Scope: IAQ Investigation of IGI Airport Departure

Terminal.
Title: “IAQ Monitoring at Offices/Commercial Complexes”.

Sponsored by: DST, Government of India

Duration: 2001- 2003

Scope: IAQ investigation at DLF Air Conditioned Commercial

Complex at Muniraka, New Delhi.
Title: “Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation in a
Naturally Ventilated School Building”, Ph.D.
Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT
Delhi.

Scope: Investigating the IAQ in Naturally

Ventilated School Building and formulation of
Mass Balance Based IAQ Model.
Findings:
 The results of the study indicates that RSPM concentrations in classroom exceeds
the permissible limits during all monitoring hours of weekdays and weekends in all
seasons that may cause potential health hazards to occupants, when exposed. I/O for all
sizes of particulates are greater than 1, which implies that building envelop does not
provide protection from outdoor pollutants.

 Further, a significant influence of meteorological parameters, ventilation rate and of

traffic has been observed on I/O. Higher I/O for PM10 is indicating the presence of its
indoor sources in classroom and their indoor concentrations are strongly influenced by
activities of occupants during weekdays.
Environ Monit Assess. DOI 10.1007/s10661-010-1600-7

Indoor air quality modeling for PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0 in naturally ventilated
classrooms of an urban Indian school building
Radha Goyal · Mukesh Khare
Received: 14 December 2009 / Accepted: 27 June 2010
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Findings
 NVIAQMpm10 shows the tendency to under-predict indoor PM10 concentrations during weekdays as it does not
take into account the occupant’s activities and its effects on the indoor concentrations during the class hours.

 The models have been validated at three different classroom locations of the school site and the sensitivity
analysis of the models has been performed by varying the values of mixing factor (k) and newly introduced parameter
Rc. The results indicate that the change in values of k (0.33 to 1.00) does not significantly affect the model
performance.
Scope: Investigating the
IAQ in Naturally
Ventilated School
Building and formulation
of Mass Balance based
IAQ Model.
Title: Air Pollution: Health and
Environmental Impacts

Chapter (4): Indoor Air Pollution

and Health Effects

Authors: Radha Goyal and Mukesh

Khare

Scope: Investigating the IAQ and

its health effects on school
children.
Title: Sick Building Syndrome:
Indoor Air Quality: Monitoring
and Modelling Protocol for Urban
School Buildings (Chapter-10)

Authors: Radha Goyal and Mukesh

Khare

Scope: Development of IAQ

protocol for school building.
Title: “Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Impact on the
Respiratory Health of Inmates of the Selected Households
in Delhi City”, Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Civil
Engineering, IIT Delhi, 2007.

Scope: Investigating the IAQ in Urban Poor Households

of Delhi and Health Impact Analysis Model
Scope: Monitoring IAQ in
populations of socio-
economic strata and
evaluating the respiratory
health problems
 IAQ Research at IIT Delhi- Ongoing

Title: “Indoor Air Quality Study in Underground Metro

Stations in Delhi”.

Scope: To develop an indoor air quality model and to see

the ventilation effectiveness in the selected
underground metro stations.

Collaboration: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)