Is the use of particle air filtration justified? Costs and benefits of filtration with regard to health effects, building cleaning and occupant productivity
Publication: Research - peer-review › Journal article – Annual report year: 2008
Estimates of costs and the corresponding benefits of particle filtration have been derived for a standard office building. Reduction in
occupants’ exposure to particles during their workday is anticipated to reduce their morbidity and mortality. Filtration may also reduce
the costs associated with building and HVAC cleaning. Conversely, losses of occupant productivity due to sensory offending pollutants
emitted from used ventilation filters can lead to significant economic losses. The results of the present analysis are strongly dependent on
several key input parameters; consequently, the sensitivity of the results to these parameters was evaluated as part of this study. The
study also acknowledges that the benefits-to-costs ratio depends on the perspective of the stakeholder: the employer renting the building
is impacted by occupant performance and building energy costs; the building owner is impacted by maintenance of the building and its
HVAC system; society is impacted by the employees’ health and welfare. Regardless of perspective, particle filtration is anticipated to
lead to annual savings significantly exceeding the running costs for filtration. However, economic losses resulting from even a small
decrease in productivity caused by sensory pollutants emitted from used ventilation filters have the potential to substantially exceed the
annual economic benefits of filtration. Further studies are required to determine if meaningful benefits can be obtained from more
frequent filter replacement or application of different filtration techniques that limit the emission of offending pollutants into the
ventilation air.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Building and Environment |
| Publication date | 2008 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Journal number | 10 |
| Pages | 1647-1657 |
| ISSN | 0360-1323 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published |
| Citations | Web of Science® Times Cited: 8 |
|---|
Keywords
- Mortality, Cost–benefit evaluation, Particle filtration, Morbidity
ID: 3230241