INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) IMPROVEMENTS USING BIOFILTRATION IN A HIGHLY EFFICIENT RESIDENTIAL HOME

Americans spend the majority of their time indoors where levels of pollutants may run two to five times—and occasionally more than 100 times—higher than outdoor levels [1]. Many of these pollutants can cause adverse health reactions in building occupants, which can contribute to lower worker productivity and increased sick leave. Traditional methods of indoor pollutant control in sealed buildings involve the use of outdoor ventilation. Outdoor ventilation requires the intake of outdoor air, which must be heated or cooled to meet indoor temperature and humidity requirements. This represents between 10–20% of the total energy consumption of a building [2]. Even though past research has touched on incorporating actual biofiltration into building systems, there is little to no research on the incorporation of biofilters into energy-efficient residential dwellings. One of the first applications of biofiltration for energy-efficient homes was conceived close to 30 years ago [3]. Figure 1 shows an e...