Method for Detecting Contaminant Transport through Leakages in a Condemned School

Paper in proceeding, 2018

Many schools in Sweden, have problems with the indoor air, affecting the wellbeing and health of both pupil and teachers. Contaminants in the air, such as mold spores, radon, odors, and VOC, cause problems and it can be difficult to find the contaminant source, in particular if it is within the building construction. The aim of this project is to investigate air leakage paths and pressure differences in a school building with IAQ problems and to analyze how these parameters are related to contaminant transport. An increased knowledge of how contaminants are transported will then form the base for an improved strategy for dealing with renovations of schools with IAQ issues. The main method of investigation in this initial part of the project is blower door measurements and leakage paths detection. A method to use CO2 from dry ice as tracer gas for leakage detection is under development and tested in a condemned school building. Results presented in this paper show that it is possible to use this method to determine whether air leakages are coming from the crawlspace or from elsewhere.