Greenbuildings: LEED Certification Requirements for Indoor Airborne Particles Can Reduce Indoor PM10 Exposure

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RATIONALE: Leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) is the best known of several rating systems that focus on evaluating categories of sustainable or “Green” features in buildings. Indoor environmental quality (EQ) is the LEED category (among five) that focuses on human well-being.

METHODS: We compared the limit of 50 μg/m³ of PM10 required by LEED after construction/renovation to levels associated with normal activities and to construction activities. We also compared the PM10 levels between buildings that met and that failed to meet PM10 or other air quality requirements for LEED.

RESULTS: Most buildings (82 of 99 locations in 26 buildings) seeking LEED certification met (median 15 μg/m³) the requirement of <50 μg/m³ PM10 (4 hr averages). Renovation during occupancy in two buildings generated spot (∼1 min averages) PM10 levels of 212 and 80 μg/m³ dropping to 26 μg/m³ (n = 33) and 24 μg/m³ (n = 37) respectively over four weeks. Very low spot PM10 levels (1 - 5 μg/m³) occur in occupied surgery/post-op rooms (n = 3). Spot PM10 levels during renovation in medical offices/health care buildings varied from 1-67 μg/m³ (n = 44). Notably though, spikes (193 μg/m³) in a sample can dramatically exceed the average (58 μg/m³) masking PM10 exposure bursts.

CONCLUSIONS: Controlling indoor pollutants through careful building construction and continued maintenance to provide good indoor air quality in residential, workplace and school environments offers an achievable, opportunity for improving respiratory health. However, since no methodology or technology is specified in “Green” building programs, sample and measurement aspects may confound pollutant patterns over time.