The advent of smart building sensors is enabling rapid expansion of indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring and controls aiming to secure healthier, and more comfortable indoor spaces. Deployment of these technologies can be informed by vast amounts of existing IAQ measurements, linked to human health, satisfaction and productivity. This project aims to compile, catalog and openly disseminate IAQ datasets from decades of indoor air quality field investigations.
We will adopt a unique cost-effective method that makes use of the existing data to create new value available to everyone. Through a robust network of internationally recognized experts and incentive-based outreach to data contributors, we will collect and standardize a vast amount of published scientific data from recent indoor air quality field campaigns. Indoor air pollution data will be accompanied with comprehensive data about building, climatic and geographical characteristics, and whenever available, individual-level exposure, and outdoor air data.
The collected data will be subject to rigorous quality control, statistical treatments, and will be made available online and as open-source, to allow end users to access, download and explore the gathered data. Finally, the open-source database will be promoted to wide communities around the world. This pilot open-source IAQ database (PILOT-IAQ) is expected to enable stakeholders to retrieve and analyze data from it, to produce new knowledge, and improve and undertake new and existing initiatives and policies for effective IAQ management.