Assessment of leed indoor environmental quality parameters at a new church building in south-central Kentucky

An indoor environmental quality assessment was conducted at a newly completed Catholic church building in South-central Kentucky as part of the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements. From a business perspective, green building certification has become an important staple for demonstrating energy efficiency, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. The LEED certification process stipulates, among other things, that points be awarded for energy conservation as well as documentation that selected indoor air contaminant concentrations are below certain target levels. (It must be noted that any decision by a builder or architect aimed at obtaining the LEED credit point certification involves some financial commitment.) This article summarizes the results of a comprehensive indoor environmental quality assessment for four LEED chemical contaminants and selected parameters present in indoor air, with a view to meeting LEED certification requirements, protecting public health from risks of chemical exposure, and improving occupant productivity. The chemical substances—total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), particulate matter less than 10 micrometer (PM10), formaldehyde (HCHO), and carbon monoxide (CO)— have documented health effects and often occur indoors at significantly high enough concentrations to be a public health concern. In accordance with the USGBC LEED IEQ 3.2 requirements, indoor air sampling was conducted for TVOCs, PM10, HCHO, and CO at selected locations of the building. Air sampling was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air.” Additionally, the levels of other indoor air quality parameters of public health importance (temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide) were measured. Airborne samples were collected over a period of two days at approximately four feet above floor level, using the GrayWolf Pack DirectSense IAQ Plus™, the PM-205KIT particulate monitor, and the RK-FP30 formaldehyde meter. The results showed that all measured LEED chemicals were below their respective USGBC IEQ target concentrations. TVOC concentrations were below 56 μg/m³, and PM10 levels were below 6.6 μg/m³, while formaldehyde and carbon monoxide concentrations were 0.40 ppb and 0.26 ppm, respectively. The results of this study suggest that building materials used and installed at the church had low emissions and met or exceeded the LEED IEQ 3.2 certification requirements. The results also provide some practical solutions for obtaining LEED credit points for post-construction indoor environmental quality assessment at the church building. The impact of LEED certification on the health and productivity of the occupants, as well as the overall return on investment from integrating LEED principles of green building and smart growth, cannot be overemphasized.