Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality and Impacts on Occupants: Case Study of MNIT Jaipur

Abstract

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one of the major factors for producing a favourable and productive environment in any educational building. Various studies show the effect and consequences of poor IEQ on grasping capability of students. Today institute buildings are expected to provide enhanced IEQ, higher occupant satisfaction and less risks of occupant health. With reference to various results available, a study has been conducted in Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, for analysing the IEQ conditions in the institute’s building. The study is conducted in two parts, first includes quantitative analysis of various IEQ parameters like temperature, relative humidity, noise, air ventilation, particulate matter, volatile organic carbon, light intensity and CO₂ concentration. These parameters are further analysed as per the ASHRAE and various other standards. The second one includes survey for determining the student’s perception towards the current environment and comfort in the building. The study included various classrooms, offices and working areas of the institute to analyse the difference in concentration of parameters as per the usage and occupancy of the area. In this research, it is evident that level of satisfaction for majority of users in the academic building of MNIT is moderate. The reason accounted for the discomfort of various students may be indoor noise generated by some of the ACs, improper ventilation in summer season and construction activities in the vicinity. A few actions should be taken into consideration to produce a good IEQ environment at the academic building and increasing the productivity of the students and workers of the institute.