Risk-based prioritisation of indoor air pollution monitoring using computational fluid dynamics

There has been an increasing concern on indoor air quality in recent years due to the possible harmful effects to human health. Indoor air pollution as a result of using natural gas for cooking and heating is a common health threat, particularly for women and young children. Therefore, quantification of the type and emission levels of these pollutants is necessary in order to mitigate and monitor the emissions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) can be used to model airflow and dispersion within buildings of complex geometry and layout. In the present paper, a CFD analysis is performed to determine the concentration of indoor air quality for a typical one-floor building in order to determine the optimal locations of monitoring sensors. According to this study, placing the monitoring sensors based on the maximum concentrations of the individual contaminant does not entirely overcome the problems, as the concentrations of different hazardous pollutants cannot be added. Moreover, high concentration with low duration of exposure is not a good candidate for placing the monitoring system. A risk-based methodology is proposed to determine the optimal location for the monitoring systems. Different risk management strategies are also considered as a part of the methodology to reduce the exposure risk of indoor contaminants. © The Author(s), 2011.