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Wildfires and associated emissions of particulate matter pose significant environmental and health concerns. IoT-enabled measurements, in combination with occupant surveys, can be used to evaluate building resilience to extreme episodes of outdoor particulate matter. A recent study1 sponsored by CITRIS at University of California Berkeley, demonstrated the application of those tools on two buildings with different modes of ventilation during the Chico Camp fire event.
Wildfires and associated emissions of particulate matter pose significant environmental and health concerns. There is clear evidence that wildfire smoke, which includes particulate matter with 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5), is linked to respiratory health implications, morbidity, and mortality.
The study proposed tools to characterize the resilience of the buildings on different temporal and spatial scales using the well-established I/O ratio and a newly proposed E-index that evaluates indoor concentration in the context of adopted 24-hour exposure thresholds (e.g., WHO), and can identify “safe” buildings or spaces within buildings. Similarly, it will identify buildings with high air pollutant exposure or hotspots within buildings. Senseware is excited to see their IoT platform solution deliver real-time particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and contact monitor data needed for this study.
1 Pantelic J, Dawe M, Licina D (2019) Use of IoT sensing and occupant surveys for determining the resilience of buildings to forest fire generated PM2.5. PLoS ONE 14(10): e0223136.