Air pollution and climate change are closely linked, and considered the largest environmental health threat worldwide – accounting for approximately seven million deaths each year. More than 99 per cent of the global population are exposed to air pollution levels that exceed the WHO guideline limits.
The building sector is responsible for 37 per cent of energy-related carbon emissions and a other pollutant sources contributing to ambient pollution, including heating and cooling, transport and manufacturing as well as localised emissions from construction.
In addition to this, internal air pollutants from building fabrics, materials or unsuitable ventilation poses further risks to human health alongside those circulating in our outdoor air. It is clear that a sustainable built environment is vital in mitigating the global air pollution crisis – and monitoring indoor and outdoor air quality is a crucial first step.
As part of World Green Building Council’s (GBC) global Air Quality in the Built Environment initiative, the Plant a Sensor Campaign was launched in 2019 to mobilise businesses and organisations to measure and share real-time data on air pollution in and outside of buildings.
Sensors were donated by Tongdy to support the efforts of the 23 national GBCs across the WorldGBC global network that participated.
A recent WorldGBC blog studies the experience of three GBCs who participated in the Plant a Sensor campaign. They share data, stories and lessons learnt as they work to inspire the uptake of air quality monitoring around the world.
- Green Building Council Italia
Air quality monitors provided by the Plant a Sensor campaign were installed in a residential home, located in the municipality of Brescia in northern Italy. This was particularly useful as the air quality in the northern region of Italy is regularly reported to contain unhealthy levels of pollution, which allowed Green Building Council Italia to undertake an independent air quality monitoring campaign, and showcase the importance of indoor ventilations systems.
- Finding 1: Higher air renewal rates required to control indoor CO2 concentrations
- Finding 2: Controlling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) required lower ventilation rates
- Finding 3: Mechanical ventilation maintained low levels of indoor fine dust
- Finding 4: Mechanical ventilation maintained effective indoor humidity levels
- Green Building Council Cameroon
Poor air quality has been affecting Cameroon in recent years, with the urgent need for air quality management projects becoming crucial for both public policy change and engagement of civil society. This message has been supported by Green Building Council Cameroon by its participation in the Plant a Sensor Campaign.
One outdoor and two indoor air quality sensors were installed in commercial and residential buildings in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, in districts 6 and 7. The sensors collected the mean concentration of CO2, PM10, PM2.5, and total VOC in μg/m3.
The data from the air quality monitors suggest that the value of CO2 in the indoor space is higher than the outdoor space, indicating that indoor air quality could be much poorer than outdoor air quality.
The challenge now is to determine the factors that could help tackle indoor and outdoor air pollution. Green Building Council Cameroon hopes to present the state of air quality and the factors explaining why indoor air quality is poorer than outdoor air quality to a wider audience. They will also continue seeking to help the population adopt measures to ameliorate their indoor air quality.
As follow on steps to this campaign, Green Building Council Cameroon intends to add measurement stations with outdoor monitors, to track changing pollution levels and evaluate the air quality levels in other localities.
- Green Building Council South Africa
The sources of air pollution in South Africa are diverse and complex. Managing them therefore requires a multi-sectoral approach that potentially differs from region to region. In areas where major industrial and chemical production occurs, the focus is on industrial emitters, but there are other contributing pollutants that South Africans breathe at ground-level such as vehicles, veld fires, mining, waste burning, and burning of fuels such as wood or coal for cooking or heating. Pollution levels are often highest in low-income settlements, urban areas, and areas close to large industries. Oftentimes the highest levels of pollution are in vulnerable communities.
Green Building Council South Africa installed indoor air quality monitors during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring air quality within buildings has not been common in the majority of South Africa’s buildings and is limited to higher end commercial buildings that are typically certified. Green Star certifications and the Green Building Council of South Africa strongly support the creation of good indoor air quality and healthy places for work both directly and indirectly.
From installing the indoor sensors, Green Building Council South Africa has learned how much indoor air quality can change when compared to outdoor air quality. For example the finishes selected for the building’s interior can and do have a negative effect on the indoor air quality and the building occupants.
There is generally very low awareness in South Africa of the importance of good indoor air quality amongst building owners, business owners and building occupants, as well as the link between bad air quality and human health. Additionally, there has been very low awareness of what can be done to create better indoor air quality within buildings.
For more information go to https://worldgbc.org/article/air-quality-lessons/