Metabolic Carbon Dioxide as an Indicator of Indoor Air Quality in Hong Kong Offices

Metabolic carbon dioxide (MCO2) has long been used as a surrogate indicator for indoor air quality since l862. Today, the axiom of ‘solutian to indoor pollution is by dilution’ still prevails. Both the MCO2 and the ventilation rate of outdoor air have been widely used as controlling parameters for acceptable indoor air quality. Unfortunately, building managers and engineers always confuse the rationales of using these parameters as health and comfort indicators. It renders the resources in managing acceptable indoor air quality being applied ineffectively. This paper reviews the interpretation of MCO2 as a surrogate indicator for acceptable indoor air quality and presents the results of an extensive in-office survey to substantiate the discussions.