Masthead - Climate Control Journal

New global study supports healthy buildings as a critical public health strategy

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, 9 September 2021: For the first time on a global scale, new research has found that healthy buildings with enhanced ventilation can improve the cognitive function and health of occupants, suggesting that ventilation and filtration are pre-eminent healthy building strategies, Carrier Global Corporation said through a Press release. Primary support for the study came from Carrier.

The study, COGfx Study 3: Global Buildings, was led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as part of the renowned COGfx Study series, which examines the impact of indoor air quality on how people think and feel, Carrier said.

The latest study supports the prior studies’ lab and US findings and further supports that indoor air quality is not only good for people’s health and safety, it’s good for the bottom line, as well – through increased productivity, fewer sick days and better cognitive function, Carrier said.

“As more people move toward returning to offices, schools and recreational activities, the health, safety and intelligence of indoor environments have come into greater focus,” said Dave Gitlin, Chairman & CEO, Carrier. “The COGfx Study continues to demonstrate that proper ventilation and filtration of indoor environments plays an important role across the globe in fostering a proactive health strategy. At Carrier, we are focused on delivering innovative solutions and services that positively impact the health, productivity and cognitive performance of occupants of all buildings.”

The COGfx Study 3: Global Buildings examined the impact of indoor air quality on the cognitive function of office workers across six countries – China, India, Mexico, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The research found that cognitive function declines as the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) increase, Carrier said, referencing the study. Higher CO2 can be an indicator of poor ventilation in buildings, the company added.

Importantly, mechanical ventilation, such as an HVAC system with efficient filtration, can help to protect building occupants from the negative cognitive effects of PM2.5 and CO2, Carrier said. In addition to acute impacts on cognitive function, reducing exposure to PM2.5 is associated with many other health benefits, including reductions in cardiovascular disease, asthma attacks and premature death.

While the research focused on office employees in commercial buildings, the takeaways are applicable for all indoor environments, Carrier said, adding that as a company it offers numerous products and services that optimize indoor air quality, including a suite of advanced solutions through Carrier’s Healthy Buildings Program that serves key verticals including, healthcare, hospitality, education, retail and marine.

This latest research builds on previous COGfx studies that demonstrated better thinking and better health can be found inside healthier buildings. The first study found cognitive function test scores doubled when study participants were in simulated green building environments with enhanced ventilation as opposed to conventional building environments. The COGfx Study 2 examined real-world building environments in the United Stayes and showed that employees in green-certified buildings showed 26% higher cognitive function test scores and 30% fewer sick building symptoms versus buildings that were not green-certified.

According to Carrier, the COGfx Study 3 can be found at www.theCOGfxStudy.com.

GrayWolf announces introducing smart IAQ and toxic gas probes

SHELTON, Connecticut, 12 July 2021: GrayWolf’s DirectSense II probes will now connect via Bluetooth LE wireless to Apple and Android devices, the company announced through a Press release.

GrayWolf said it DSII probes for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and toxic gas testing and monitoring will imminently have Apps for iOS and Android operating systems available free on the Apple and Google App stores. It added that it is possible to use a smartphone or tablet as a multi-parameter display or data-logger.

The company said that users can choose from over 25 smart IAQ, green building, industrial hygiene and HVAC sensors, including TVOCs (PID), Carbon Dioxide (NDIR), Ozone (electrochemical), CO, NO2, NH3, SO2, NO, Cl2, H2S, HCN, HCl, O2, H2, %RH and °C/°F. Each probe, the company said, accommodates from two up to eight true plug-and-play sensors into a single handheld, desktop or wall-mounted housing. The sensors offer low limits of detection and exceptional accuracy, the company claimed, adding that the CO2 sensor, for example, leads the IAQ industry at +/-35ppm over the key range, starting from 350ppm to 2000ppm (while +/-3% of reading above that up to 10,000ppm for CO2 toxic exposure use).

As monitoring IAQ parameters is a core application for GrayWolf, extensive development effort was put into assuring that the sensor smartboards would not introduce noise or degrade accuracy, stability or limits of detection (LODs) for the convenience of end-user swappable sensors, the company said. Other manufacturers, it pointed out, have prioritized convenience over performance.

Banner - CCGD
Banner - RBG
Copyright © 2024 - CPI Industry, Dubai - UAE. All rights reserved.