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Since almost everyone has complained at one point or another about air quality on the indoor track, I
figured I’d put it to the test. On August 8, I brought some of Tech Environmental’s equipment over to
club and decided to take some measurements around 8 PM, after people had been running around for a
while.
Well, surprisingly, nothing seemed unusual. I went around the track monitoring temperature and
humidity, and found things to be pretty close to what I usually see: 64 degrees, relative humidity 26%.
There was a slow airflow (about 0.5 mph) from the door to the opposite wall. Concentrations of
carbon monoxide (CO) were undetectable (less than 1 part per million--engineers recommend
concentrations of about 9 parts per million or less, averaged over a normal 8-hr workday) and carbon
dioxide (CO2) levels were also not unusual for indoor air (700 ppm, as compared to recommended
standards of 800-1000 ppm). High carbon dioxide levels are usually indicative of an insufficient supply
of fresh air.
So what does this mean? I suppose that some of you might say it could mean that my equipment is
bad, but as a consultant, I’m conditioned to deny that. (No seriously folks, the equipment is calibrated
regularly.) Of course, there are other pollutants I could have tested for (like the noxious B.O. molecule,
sweat aerosols, etc.), but I doubt that these are the perceived problem either. My guess is that the CO2
standard that I’m familiar with (for people working in office buildings) is simply not appropriate for
runners. After all, it would make sense that if someone is exerting themselves, they may be more
sensitive to air quality.
Unfortunately for us, however, the monitoring results indicate that we probably won’t be able to sue
MIT for megabucks (and free indoor track passes)...
Submitted by Todd Tamura
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