Original Paper Indoor Built Environ 2001;10:3–19 Feasibility Study of an Indoor Air Quality Measurement Protocol on 12 Parameters in Mechanically Ventilated and Air-Conditioned Buildings Christopher Y. Chao a George Y. Chan a Lewis Ho b a Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR; b Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, The Hong Kong SAR Government, Hong Kong SAR Accepted: February 26, 2001 Prof. Christopher Y. Chao Department of Mechanical Engineering The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong/SAR Tel. +852 2358 7210, Fax +852 2358 1543, E-Mail meyhchao@ust.hk ABC Fax + 41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel 1420–326X/01/0101–0003$17.50/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/journals/ibe Key Words Indoor air quality certification scheme W Guidance notes W Measurement protocol W Mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning Abstract The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department has recently launched a set of guidance notes on indoor air quality (IAQ) management for offices and public places. An IAQ Certification Programme will be con- ducted on a self-regulatory basis that is intended to divide IAQ in mechanically ventilated buildings into three classes. Due to the large number of buildings in Hong Kong and the associated cost implications, a sim- plified, operationally feasible and scientifically sound as- sessment has been developed. Twenty-five government buildings covering eight different types of premises were examined in a trial-run programme to verify the validity of the proposed methodology. Among these 25 prem- ises, only 1 (4%) achieved level 1 while 11 (44%) achieved the level 2 objective. The remaining 13 prem- ises (52%) met the level 3 objective. High concentrations of volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide were found to be the dominating parameters that made a building unable to meet class level 2. This measurement study has also illustrated the very different nature of IAQ found in different types of buildings where the pattern of air conditioning operation and indoor air pollutant sources can influence it substantially. Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel Introduction In recent years, indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a major issue in the concerns for ‘healthy living’. In October 1995 the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Depart- ment (HK-EPD) commissioned a large-scale consultancy study on ‘Indoor Air Pollution in Offices and Public Places’. This study was completed at the end of 1997. A total of 40 office premises and 38 public places (20 restau- rants, 5 cinemas, 8 shopping malls, 2 wet markets and 3 mass transit railway stations) were surveyed in that study by means of telephone survey, on-site questionnaire sur- vey and site measurement. The results led to the conclu- sion that about one-third of the buildings in Hong Kong were what are generally understood to be ‘sick buildings’ and 90% of the buildings were underventilated with a ventilation rate of less than 7.5 litres W s –1 per person. The results of the consultancy study [1] have been used in the preparation of a draft set of ‘Guidance Notes for the Management of Indoor Air Quality in Offices and Public Places’ (GN) [2]. The development was made with input