Indoor Air Quality

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Outline

Thesis Statement: Indoor air quality is a highly important aspect of our daily lives and
can have a great effect on anyone.
I.

History of HVAC
A. How this idea originated?
B. How has it evolved over the years?
1. Who came up first with the Idea and why?
2. Different models that were produced

II. How does air quality impact?

A. Students
B. Teachers
C. Office workers
III. Different effects it has on these personnel
A. Positive effects
B. Negative effects
IV. Interview

Mark Marko
Teacher: Davey Mills
English IV
14 February 2016

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Indoor Air Quality

Many people know that outdoor air pollution can damage their health, but what most do
not understand is that indoor air pollution can also be harmful (Air quality in schools). Indoor air
pollution has to come from a main source in the home or building which is often referred to as
the HVAC System. The denotation of this acronym is "Heating Ventilation and Air
Conditioning," three functions often combined into one system in today's modern homes and
buildings (Central Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning HVAC Systems). None of this could
have been created without the idea of a central ventilating system in 1902, by a 25 year old
engineer who designed it to control humidity in the printing plant where he worked (Will
Oremus). Today heating and cooling systems affect students, teachers and many office workers
in multiple positive and negative ways.
Being able to live or work in a home or office building that has a well installed
ventilation system is a luxury for many people today, but it wasn't always like that. Preceding the
year of the invention Carrier was inspired by the idea while waiting for a train on a foggy night
(History of Air Conditioning). By the time it had arrived Willis already had a deep understanding
of the ties between temperature humidity and the dew point (History of Air Conditioning). In
1902, a 25 year old engineer by the name of Wills Carrier designed a cooling system that used
chilled cooling coils to cool the air and even lowered the humidity to 55% (The History of Air
Conditioning). The first air conditioners were very large, expensive, and highly dangerous due to
the ammonia that was used as coolant, which also was very toxic (The History of Air
Conditioning).
Carriers great invention led to a big revolution in the Air conditioner manufacturing
business (The History of Air Conditioning). In 1904 manufactured air was introduced to the

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public, and began to get installed in many industrial buildings like pharmaceutical manufacturing
plants, printing plants, textile mills and some hospitals (The History of Air Conditioning). By
having all of these machines installed, this created a boom in the air conditioning industry also
better production in all of the industrial buildings that were equipped with these machines. From
1917 to the 1930 movie theaters were the next focus of the industry allowing normal people to
have a feel for this new innovation. The first few movie theaters to have this new feature was the
New Empire theater in Montgomery, Alabama and the central park theater in Chicago in 1917
(The History of Air Conditioning). In the midst of that time period Wills Carrier made two new
discoveries. First off, he changed the toxic coolant ammonia with safer coolant dieline. Another
large breakthrough was decreasing the size of the units so the can be installed in department
stores, railroad cars, and other small buildings (The History of Air Conditioning). A few years
later from 1928 to 1930 the senate, house of representatives, white house, executive office
building and the department of Commerce were all huge projects were air conditioners were
installed (The History of Air Conditioning). As time went by and engineers were looking for
upgrades in 1957 the rotary compressor was first marketed, this created smaller, quieter and
more efficient units that could be installed in almost any home (The History of Air
Conditioning). Up to about the 1970s window units were one of the popular machines that were
installed (The History of Air Conditioning). Until central heating came around, this allowed the
air to come from one central point in the building and be dispersed throughout every room
(Amanda Green). This renovation allowed more room in the home without having every window
being occupied with a window unit, the negative side of this idea is that the prices increased
drastically and and not many people could afford the new system. Another huge change in the air
conditioner was the setup, it went from chilled cooling coils with ammonia that were used to

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lower the temperature and humidity, to using a fan that drew air past the Freon-12(type of
refrigerant) coils and out through the homes ventilation system (Amanda Green). This allowed
cleaner air to run through the building and made people more interested in occupying this
product for their home. It allowed the increase of production and sales to boom throughout the
years. By 1965 only about 10% of the american population could get their hands on this kind of
technology, but as the companies continued to grow and the demand increased, by 2007 around
86% percent of american homes owned a heating and cooling system(Will Oremus).
Today HVAC systems are installed by many different companies in many unique ways
using various materials. There are four common HVAC systems that are installed. The main and
most commonly installed is the split system where there is an indoor and outdoor unit, and the
ductwork carries the air from the inside carrier to the rest of the house(Types Of HVAC
Systems). An alternate, but similar scheme is the hybrid heat split system it includes a heat pump
which allows the option of electricity fueled heating and air conditioning, in addition to gas
furnace heat(Types Of HVAC Systems). Another type is the Duct-Free Split System which is
primarily used in places where the regular Units cannot be set up its shape is a lot more compact
so it can fit the requirements for the uncanny home style(Types Of HVAC Systems). The final
typical arrangement that is used is the package system it is designed for homes where you cannot
install the usual split system(Types Of HVAC Systems). In these houses the units are split up
according to the architect's blueprints(Types Of HVAC Systems). One unit can be used for one
room, another can be only used for two or three rooms which all depends on the structure of the
building and at times the customer (Types Of HVAC Systems).
In present day indoor air quality has the greatest impact on students who are mostly
enclosed in a building throughout the day and without proper air quality control, this can have a

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major influence on their education. A few points that have been found through investigating this
problem have been poor working ventilation systems, potential for mold growth on water
damaged ceilings, carpets and walls, exhaust fumes, and chemical spills (Air Quality in Schools).
Some symptoms that can develop with these issues are headache fatigue, shortness of breath,
sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing, eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation, and dizziness and
nausea while many of these are not serious illnesses but are considered vague symptoms they can
still be hints that something needs to be done about the air quality (Air Quality in Schools).
School teachers and administration have to take these situations into serious consideration, while
they are only smalls symptoms, and try to prevent these from spreading. Usually the expenses
and efforts used to put an end to a dilemma are less costly when there are small indications of the
virus, then when the issue is fully developed(Air Quality in Schools). There are four basic factors
that affect indoor air quality and those are; sources of pollutants, air pressure (the heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system) pollutant pathways, and people(Air Quality in
Schools). Even though there are many negative impacts of air quality there are ways that schools
can control it, one of the main answers is to keep air pollutants out and not near the building
where they can harm the air quality(Air Quality in Schools). This idea can be more vividly
explained by Richard Shaughnessy, director of TUs Indoor Air Program Adequate ventilation
involves a prescribed amount of outdoor air being introduced into the classroom, with the intent
to dilute and replenish stale air in the room with incoming fresh (outdoor) air (Study shows
classroom air quality affects student performance). More eloquent examples of keeping the
school more protected from outside pollutants are; not allowing buses to idle near outdoor air
intakes, place a barrier around the pollution source so that it releases fewer pollutants into the
school building, do not place garbage or store cleaning products in rooms where HVAC

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equipment is located, also when painting or in an event of a chemical spill there should be an
increase in ventilation around that area so it can dilate the concentration of fumes released into
the air (Air Quality in Schools). If a situation was to happen where teachers and administrators
are noticing that students are developing certain symptoms due to air quality there is quite an
easy solution to this kind of problem, the school's management needs to contact their school or
health and safety coordinator who would more then willing to prevent this type of dilemma from
happening again (Air Quality in Schools).
Although the type of air quality a school contains is the primary focus point for many
health and safety administrators, on helping the students learn and succeed in the school
building. They also have to take into the fact that teachers also play a big role in the school
system and need to be treated accordingly. Many similar reasons apply to teachers as they did to
students since they work in the same environment. Teachers can not get affected as much as
students because they are much older and their immune systems can fight of most of the bacteria
and viruses that affect students. Due to the amount of pollutants released in the air today around
schools they can be even harmful to adults causing them to sometimes not have the ability to
come to work and serve the students because of improper ventilation. A few concepts that could
help teachers keep their classroom clean and prevent bad air from spreading are; minimizing
mold exposure and excess moisture that develops in the room(How does indoor air quality affect
academic performance?). Also eliminating various toxic cleaning agents that could people go and
spread throughout the ventilating system and harm a greater amount of people (How does indoor
air quality affect academic performance?). Maintaining a normal temperature and keeping the
classroom to a low humidity level can increase performance from both the students and the
teachers, providing a positive reputation for the school(How does indoor air quality affect

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academic performance?). Another big procedure that a teacher can enforce on their students is
proper garbage disposal, getting rid of any excess trash that would come into conflict with the air
quality which can harm the learning environment (How does indoor air quality affect academic
performance?). All in all, teachers are greatly affected by the type of air that is in the classroom,
they might not be affected as much as the students because their immune system are stronger, but
they should still be cautious of materials that can abuse the surroundings. In many ways the
instructor can help the health and safety administrators by keeping their classroom clean and
look out for any symptoms that might influence the atmosphere of the study.
While today the prime focus of air quality control is on the educational environments,
there are also other big contributors to the society that need to be treated appropriately. Radio,
TV show host, business men and women and other personnel that work inside a building that
hopefully add a positive contribution to their surroundings, also need proper ventilation in there
working environments (Roberts Heating & Air Conditioning / Blog / 2 HVAC Issues That Affect
Workplace Productivity). Poor indoor air quality can create symptoms such as headaches,
coughing, sneezing and even a full blown illness that would prevent employees from consistently
coming to work (Roberts Heating & Air Conditioning / Blog / 2 HVAC Issues That Affect
Workplace Productivity). A person with even the slightest headache can cause productivity rates
to decrease because their not working at their full potential, also staff members with either
asthma and allergies can affect the company due to the pollutants in the air (Roberts Heating &
Air Conditioning / Blog / 2 HVAC Issues That Affect Workplace Productivity). Another great
factor that affects office workers is temperature, even though it might not represent a problem
with the HVAC system, but studies have shown that a workplace that is too cold can decrease the
productivity by 50 percent (Roberts Heating & Air Conditioning / Blog / 2 HVAC Issues That

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Affect Workplace Productivity). The same studies showed that when the working environment
was about 77 degrees the staff was more beneficial, this temperature can vary due to the decision
of the whole working crew (Roberts Heating & Air Conditioning / Blog / 2 HVAC Issues That
Affect Workplace Productivity). Having a proper atmosphere during work is very important both
for the employees and the company, because without healthy staff the company can suffer.
During an interview with a formal co-worker/mentor of mine I asked him a few questions
pertaining to my topic and received some interesting results. He has been in this line of work for
a little over two years now and has had experience with the different kind of jobs their is to be
assigned. In the beginning like many HVAC technicians including myself he started of working
as an installer that is where you have two deal with ductwork and insulation, but as time
progressed he had become a technician. Many of the jobs he has done result in positive feedback
from customers which reflects good on himself and the company. One of his greatest attributes is
striving to create the most comfortable living environment for the customer. Also clean and
comfortable air is very important when it comes to a learning or working environment because
unventilated air can be crucial for one's health. Office buildings come in many shapes and sizes,
but usually for a normal work room a mini split system is the perfect fit and easy to install, since
many office rooms or buildings do not provide room for a whole ductwork system to be
installed. A few ways that can help with ventilation are simply opening a window or exhaust only
ventilation which is a relatively common strategy which uses small exhaust fans to remove the
excess air from an area. An inspected check up occur at least once a year where system and
lineset is checked for any leaks which can be very hazardous. Also replacing the filters in the
return ducts is highly essential in your homes which should be done about a few times a year and
even more often in a school building since it has such a high number of people there everyday

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which causes the filters to clog up quicker. Depending on the school's budget and whether or not
they want to proceed with changing a few decade old HVAC system, it still needs to be done
because the older system becomes the greater chance it has of malfunctioning and even
producing harmful air. When asked whether his company produces quality or quantity work the
answer was obviously quality If there's not any quality work then there wont be any work
Ultimately, having clean and properly ventilated air to breath is an important process in
our daily lives, and the only way to achieve that is by taking care of the surroundings so nothing
can harm the air. School rooms, offices, skyscrapers, hotels, houses all have many similarities
about preventing pollutants from infecting the environment like not allowing buses, dump trucks,
semi trucks and other large polluting vehicles to operate near the building. Also cleaning up any
waste including toxic and chemical materials out of the way of air vents so the harmful pollutants
would not spread. Symptoms in all of these places are similar they include headaches coughing
sneezing nausea and even a serious illness, but these all can be prevented if taken care of
beforehand. In conclusion indoor air quality is a very important aspect of our daily lives and it
can have either a positive or negative affect on many people.

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1. "Air Quality in Schools." School Air Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016
2. "The History of Air Conditioning." Air Conditioning & Heating History. Ra-jac
Sales and Services, 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
3. Green, Amanda. "A Brief History of Air Conditioning." Popular Mechanics. N.p.,
29 Feb. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.
4. "2 HVAC Issues That Affect Workplace Productivity." Roberts Heating & Air
Conditioning. N.p., 07 July 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016
5. Https://www.facebook.com/AeraMaxProfessional. "How Does Indoor Air Quality
Affect Academic Performance? | Aeramax Professional." Aeramax Professional. N.p., 26
July 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
6. "The Correlation Between HVAC and Grades." U.S. Schools Could Improve
Student Performance with Updated HVAC Systems. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
7. "Types Of HVAC Systems | Types Of Air Conditioning Systems." All Weather
Contractors. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
8. "The History of Air Conditioning." Air Conditioning & Heating History. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
9. "Study Shows Classroom Air Quality Affects Student Performance - College of
Engineering." College of Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016
10. "Negative Health Effects of Central Air Conditioning." LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 12 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2016

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"Air Quality in Schools." School Air Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016
"The History of Air Conditioning." Air Conditioning & Heating History. Ra-jac Sales and Services,
2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Green, Amanda. "A Brief History of Air Conditioning." Popular Mechanics. N.p., 29 Feb. 2016. Web.
16 Oct. 2016.

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Works cited
"Air Quality in Schools." School Air Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016
"The History of Air Conditioning." Air Conditioning & Heating History. Ra-jac Sales and Services,
2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Green, Amanda. "A Brief History of Air Conditioning." Popular Mechanics. N.p., 29 Feb. 2016. Web.
16 Oct. 2016.

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