SWOL
Indoor air quality (IAQ) at UM classrooms in post- covid normalization
Indoor bio effluent CO2 level is an important factor influencing the IAQ and performance levels of employees and students while Particulate Matter (PM) pose great health risks as they can get deep into lungs, lead to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Dutch government considers levels above 1000PPM non-optimal and are associated with adverse health effects, such as headaches and dizziness. WHO 2018, considers optimal levels of PM 2.5 to be below 10 μg/m3.
staff lounge SBE
Recent research on IAQ and the related spread of SARS-CoV-2 has increased awareness about CO2 and PM (fijnstof). Therefore, in June 2020, the Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (DAD) started a pilot project at with 2 sensors (staff and student lounge). The project has been started after 2 years of testing at CBS and houses in Kerkrade and the effect of re-opening campus is investigated. Since the re-opening, and relaxation rules, the CO2 (and PM) readings changed drastically. (see CO2 and PM values above 1000 and 10 in the figures above)
student lounge SBE
This project will focus on classrooms and offices by scaling up the ongoing SBE pilot to 50 sensors. Sensors will be manufactured collectively through citizen-science and students will be trained by the spin-off social entrepreneurship start-up for free. The costs will cover 50 units of IoT devices that measure CO2, PM2.5, PM10, Temperature, Humidity, and Air Pressure once every minute and will detect the abnormal. The analysis of data in various environment during the scale up will include lecture halls, tutorial rooms, seminar rooms and offices with different locations.
Acknowledgement
This project has been possible via financial support from Universiteitsfunds Limburg (SWOL) and technical support from the School of Business and Economics.