Analysis of the exchange of pollutant and momentum between outdoor and indoor environments. The case of a classroom in the framework of the VIEPI project

Evaluation of pollutant exposure and concentration peaks to which individuals are subjected in confined environments is a fundamental issue particularly in urban areas, where air pollution is due to both internal and external sources. In this work, concentration fields of indoor pollutants within a classroom of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” were numerically and experimentally investigated in the framework of the VIEPI project (Integrated Evaluation of Indoor Particulate Exposure). The field campaigns included measurements of several fluid dynamic quantities and high-frequency concentration data of fine and ultrafine particles both within the room under examination and outdoor. Furthermore, numerical simulations of flow and particulate matter concentration were carried out by means of computational fluid dynamics considering several boundary conditions. The results compare well with the experimental data collected during the field campaigns.