PRACTICAL 1: INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) AND PARTICLE MEASUREMENT IN

OCCUPATIONAL SETTINGS

Objectives
i. To equip students with the technical skills needed to operate these instruments
effectively for environmental sampling.
ii. To help students understand the practical applications of IAQ and particulate matter
measurements in occupational safety and health management.

Introduction
Indoor air quality refers to the condition of the air within enclosed spaces such as homes,
workplaces, and public buildings. The quality of the air we breathe indoors can have a
profound impact on our health, comfort, and overall well-being. Poor IAQ can lead to a range
of health issues, including respiratory problems, allergies, and even more severe conditions.
Occupational safety and health management professionals play a pivotal role in ensuring
that indoor environments are safe and conducive to the well-being of workers. By monitoring
and improving IAQ, we can create healthier and more productive workplaces while mitigating
potential health risks.
Particulate matter (PM) refers to tiny airborne particles or droplets that can be found in
indoor air. These particles can vary in size and composition, and they often include dust, soot,
pollen, and other contaminants. PM is a significant concern as it can be inhaled deep into the
lungs, leading to adverse health effects, particularly when exposure occurs over an extended
period.

The Role of Environmental Sampling Techniques

To effectively manage indoor air quality and assess particulate matter concentrations, we rely
on environmental sampling techniques and specialized instruments. In this practical session,
you will have the opportunity to work with four instruments. Each of these instruments serves
a specific purpose in assessing IAQ and particulate matter concentrations, contributing to the
broader field of occupational safety and health management. The instruments:
a) Q-Trak IAQ Monitor
b) VelociCalc Multi-function Ventilation Meter
c) DustTrak II Aerosol Monitor
d) Personal Aerosol Monitor

Table 1: The acceptable range for specific physical parameters from ICOP IAQ 2010

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 Parameters Acceptable Range
Air temperature 23 – 26 °C
Relative humidity 40-70%
Air movement 0.15 – 0.50 m/s

Table 2: The list of indoor air contaminants and the acceptable limits according to the ICOP
IAQ 2010
Indoor Air Contaminants Acceptable Limits
Chemical Contaminants
Carbon monoxide 10 ppm
Respirable particulates 0.15 mg/m3
Ventilation Performance Indicator
Carbon dioxide C1000 ppm

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A) Q-TRAK IAQ MONITOR

Applications • IAQ investigations

• Industrial hygiene surveys
• Baseline trending and screening
• Building commissioning
• Tracking down emissions to their source (point source location)
Features • Simultaneously measures indoor air quality
• Calculates dew point, wet bulb and percent outside air
• Displays up to 5 measurements of real-time monitoring
• One instrument with multiple plug-in probe options
• Data logging functionality for recording and analysing IAQ data over
time
Probe • Temperature
• Relative humidity (RH)
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Range • CO: 0 to 500 ppm
• CO2: 0 to 5,000 ppm
• RH: 5 to 95% RH
• T: -10 to 60°C
Accuracy • CO: ±3% of reading or ±3 ppm CO whichever is greater
• CO2: ±3% of reading or ±50 ppm CO2 whichever is greater
• RH: ±3% RH
• T: ±0.5°C

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Instructions
1. Insert four AA batteries into the battery compartment.
2. Connect the probe to the body.
3. Press the “ON/OFF” key to turn on the monitor.
4. When the instrument is on, the screen displays the current readings for several
parameters and battery status. Temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide and
carbon dioxide are typically shown on the screen.
5. Press “Menu” soft keys to access the Menu items.
6. To begin data logging, select “Data Logging” option from the “Menu” option. To choose
which measurements to be logged from the data, select “Measurements” option and
set to ON.
7. To key in data continuously, at “Log Mode”, select “Cont.-time”. Then set the log interval
and test length to determine the intervals and duration of data collection and logging.
Then, press the enter key. The instrument will log data continuously until the
enter key is pressed again.
8. To view the recorded data, in “Data Logging” settings, select “View Data” and choose
the specific test.
9. Turn off the instrument by pressing the ON/OFF key for 3 seconds.
10. Carefully remove the probe and batteries.
11. Store the instrument properly.

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 B) VELOCICALC MULTI-FUNCTION VENTILATION METER

Applications • HVAC testing and balancing

• Clean room testing
• Biological safety cabinet and laboratory fume hood testing
• HVAC commissioning and troubleshooting
• IAQ investigations
• Thermal comfort studies
• Ventilation evaluations
• Process air flow testing
Features • Measure air velocity, temperature and relative humidity
• Includes differential pressure sensor
• Displays up to five measurements simultaneously
• Data logging functionality for recording and analysing IAQ data over
time
Probe • Temperature
• Relative humidity (RH)
• Air velocity
Range • 14 to 9,999 ft/min (0 to 50 m/s)
• 14 to 140°F (-10 to 60°C)
• 0 to 95% RH
Accuracy • ±3% of reading or ±3 ft/min (±0.015 m/s), whichever is greater
• ±0.5°F (±0.3°C)
• ±3% RH

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Instructions
1. Insert four AA batteries into the battery compartment.
2. Connect the probe to the body. Push the bottom of the probe so that its tip will be visible
but be careful not to break the tip.
3. Press the “ON/OFF” key to turn on the monitor.
4. When the instrument is on, the screen displays several parameters and battery status.
One of the parameters is air velocity, which is chosen as the primary parameter.
5. Press “Menu” soft keys to access the Menu items.
6. To begin data logging, select “Data Logging” option from the “Menu” option. To choose
which measurements to be logged from the data, select “Measurements” option and
set to ON.
7. To key in data continuously, at “Log Mode”, select “Cont.-time”. Then set the log interval
and test length to determine the intervals and duration of data collection and logging.
Then, press the enter key. The instrument will log data continuously until the
enter key is pressed again.
8. To view the recorded data, in “Data Logging” settings, select “View Data” and choose
the specific test.
9. Turn off the instrument by pressing the ON/OFF key for 3 seconds.
10. Carefully remove the probe and batteries.
11. Store the instrument properly.

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 C) DUSTTRAK II AEROSOL MONITOR

The aerosol is continuously pulled into the sensor chamber with the help of a diaphragm pump.
Before reaching the detecting chamber, a portion of the aerosol stream splits passes through
a HEPA filter and is then injected as sheath flow back into the chamber surrounding the
entrance nozzle. The sample flow often referred to as the residual flow, enters the sensing
chamber through the intake. Here, a laser diode-based sheet of laser light is used to illuminate
the object. The formation begins when the laser diode’s light goes through a collimating lens,
followed by a cylindrical lens, which results in the creation of a thin sheet of light. A spherical
mirror with a gold coating concentrates a significant portion of the light reflected by the
particles onto a photodetector. Over a wide range of concentrations, the voltage across the
photodetector is inversely proportional to the mass concentration of the aerosol. The voltage
is then multiplied by a calibration constant that is calculated from the relationship between the
voltage response of the DustTrak II Aerosol Monitor and a known mass concentration of the
test aerosol.

Applications • Walk-through facility surveys

• Point source dust detection
Features • Measure aerosol concentrations corresponding to
PM1, PM2.5, respirable, and PM10 size fractions,
using a variety of inlet conditioner
• Long-life internal pump for continuous sampling
• Single-point data collection for walk-through surveys
Sensor Type 90° light scattering
Particle Size Range 0.1 to 10 μm
Aerosol Concentration Range 8532 Handheld 0.001 to 150 mg/m3
Flow Rate 3.0 L/min set at factory, 1.40 to 3.0 L/min, user-adjustable
Operational Temperature 32 to 120°F (0 to 50°C)
Operational Humidity 0 to 95% RH, non-condensing

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Instructions

1. Perform zero calibration using the HEPA filter. Click setup > zero cal > start. Remove
the HEPA filter when the zero calibration is complete. Press “Main” to return to main
Menu.
2. Unscrew the impactor. There will be three parts. Take the impactor plate and put a drop
of impactor oil on the filter. Screw impactor back together, hand tighten.
3. There are four types of impactors which are for PM1, PM2.5, respirable, and PM10 size
fractions. Install only one specific impactor to use on the instrument.
4. Position the instrument horizontally in the area where you want to measure PM
concentrations.
5. To measure the PM concentrations without recording the data, in the Main Menu, select
“Survey”. Then, press the green Start key on the Main Menu display to take the
measurement.
6. To measure the PM concentrations and record the data, in the Main Menu, select “Run
Mode”. In the Run Mode menu, choose “Manual” in the first pull-down menu. Then,
press the green Start key on the Main Menu display to take the measurement.
7. To end a sampling mode, press the red Stop key and hit the “Yes” key when it appears
on the display screen.
8. Store the instrument properly.

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 D) SIDEPAK PERSONAL AEROSOL MONITOR

SidePak Personal Aerosol Monitor applies to the same working principle which is light-
scattering technologies in which the mass concentration of aerosol particles are determined.
As the aerosol particles such as dust, mists and smoke near the breathing area pass through
the inlet of the instrument, it goes through the detection process where the particles are
illuminated with a laser light beam that causes scattering of lights. The collecting optics then
collect the scattered light and concentrate it onto the photodetector that initiates the conversion
of light into voltage. The voltage is analysed and multiplied by the processor which represents
the number of scattered lights that is equivalent to the mass concentration of the measured
aerosols. There are many factors that affect the scattering of light such as the dispersion of
aerosol particles, the size of particles, the index of refraction and also light absorbance of the
particles.

Application Personal exposure monitoring of worker breathing zone as

worker performs tasks
Features • Minimise interference and worker discomfort.
• Can be attached to a wide variety of size-selective
aerosol inlet conditioners for breathing zone or area
measurements with a respirable cyclone or one of the
three integrated impactors
Sensor Type 90° light scattering, 670 nm laser diode
Particle Size Range 0.1 to 10 micrometres (μm)
Aerosol Concentration 0.001 to 20 mg/m3
Range
Flow Rate User-adjustable, 0.7 to 1.8 litres/min
Operational Temperature Operating Range 32 to 120°F (0 to 50°C)
Storage Range -4 to 140°F (-20 to 60°C)
Operational Humidity 0 to 95% RH, non-condensing

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Instructions
1. There are two types of impactors which are for PM2.5 and PM10 size fractions. Install
only one specific impactor to use on the instrument by screwing it on the instrument.
2. Connect the tubing to the unit and cyclone to collect dust sampling. The instrument
can also be placed on a person for personal sampling.
3. Turn on the “ON” key of the instrument. The unit will be activated and go through the
warm-up period.
4. To measure the PM concentrations without recording the data, in the Main Menu, select
“Survey”. Then, press the enter key on the instrument to take the measurement.
5. To measure the PM concentrations and record the data, in the Main Menu, select “Run
Mode”. In the Run Mode menu, choose “Manual” in the pull-down menu. Then, press
the enter key. The instrument will log data continuously until the enter key is
pressed again.
6. Turn off the instrument by pressing the ON/OFF key for 3 seconds.
7. Store the instrument properly.

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 PRACTICAL 1 ASSESSMENT (25 MARKS)

1. Suggest a suitable instrument to be used based on the descriptions below. (5 marks)

a) A handheld battery-operated, data-logging, single-channel, light-
scattering laser photometer
b) Durable telescoping probe with etched length marks that is suitable for
HVAC commissioning and troubleshooting
c) Real-time measurement of key IAQ parameters: CO, CO2, temperature
and relative humidity
d) Can be attached to a wide variety of size-selective aerosol inlet
conditioners for breathing zone or area measurements with a respirable
cyclone
e) Suitable for both industrial hygiene surveys and IAQ investigations

2. In a manufacturing facility, workers have been complaining of discomfort and headaches

during their shifts. The facility manager suspects an issue with IAQ.

a) Suggest an instrument to use for the IAQ assessment. (1 mark)

b) Describe the steps you would take to assess the situation and identify potential IAQ
problems. What specific measurements would you prioritise, and why? (4 marks)

3. You are tasked with evaluating the performance of the HVAC system in a commercial office
building. Employees have been experiencing uneven temperature distribution and stuffy
air.
a) Suggest an instrument to assess the HVAC system’s effectiveness and comfort
conditions. (1 mark)

b) Describe the specific measurements and readings you would prioritise. Review the data
and compare it to established IAQ standards and guidelines to identify potential issues,
prioritise corrective actions, and improve worker comfort and health. (4 marks)

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4. In a hospital’s sterile processing department, healthcare workers are concerned about
exposure to airborne particles while cleaning and sterilising medical equipment.

a) Suggest an instrument to assess personal exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and

PM10). (1 mark)

b) What specific data would you collect, and how would you interpret the results to ensure
worker safety? (4 marks)

5. You are tasked with conducting an IAQ assessment in a school building. Teachers and
students have reported allergic reactions, and you suspect indoor air pollutants might
be the cause.

a) Suggest an instrument to be used in the monitoring at the school building.

(1 mark)

b) Describe how you would assess PM levels, identify potential allergen sources.
(4 marks)

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