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LEED v2009
Schools
Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control

LEED CREDIT

Schools-2009 IEQc5: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control 1 point

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Mohammad H Abbasi

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Design to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into buildings and later cross-contamination of regularly occupied areas through the following strategies:

  • Employ permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grill s and slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath. Roll-out mats are acceptable only when maintained on a weekly basis by a contracted service organization.
  • Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used (e.g. garages, housekeeping and laundry areas, science laboratories, prep rooms, art rooms, shops of any kind, and copying and printing rooms) to create negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces when the doors to the room are closed. For each of these spaces, provide self-closing doors and deck-to-deck partitions or a hard-lid ceiling. The exhaust rate must be at least 0.50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per square foot (0.15 cubic meters per minute per square meter) with no air recirculation. The pressure differential with the surrounding spaces must be at least 5 Pascals (Pa) (0.02 inches of water gauge) on average and 1 Pa (0.004 inches of water) at a minimum when the doors to the rooms are closed.
  • In mechanically ventilated buildings, each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air shall comply with the following:
    • Particle filters or air cleaning devices shall be provided to clean the outdoor air at any location prior to its introduction to occupied spaces.
    • These filters or devices shall meet one of the following criteria:
      • Filtration media is rated at a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2
      • Filtration media is Class F7 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779: 2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance
      • [East Asia ACP: Filtration Media]
      • Filtration media has a minimum dust spot efficiency of 80% or higher and greater than 98% arrestance on a particle size of 3–10 µg.
    • Clean air filtration media shall be installed in all air systems after completion of construction and prior to occupancy.

    Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

    IAQ-HIGH">East Asia ACP: Filtration Media
    Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as high efficiency (高中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008 (空气过滤器). [view:embed_resource=page_1=4787157]
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Frequently asked questions

Should track-off mats being used on the project to meet IEQc5 requirements be included in IEQc4.3 credit requirements?

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What is the definition of a high-volume copier?

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Do I need to provide dedicated exhaust for my printer or copier?

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I do not have 10' of space inside my building entrance to install a walk-off system. Can I include one on the exterior? Can the shape be irregular?

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What does ‘regularly used exterior entrance’ mean and how do I know which of my building entrances falls under this category?

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Are entryway mats required for a building entrance from another building?

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Can I use carpet tile as a track-off system? What about carpet?

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Our building has a green cleaning program and is earning an ID credit for it, based on the LEED-EBOM IEQc3 requirements. Can we skip the exhaust requirements for our janitor rooms?

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Credit achievement rate

XX%

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LEEDuser expert

Mohammad H Abbasi

WSP
Senior Consultant

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Design to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into buildings and later cross-contamination of regularly occupied areas through the following strategies:

  • Employ permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grill s and slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath. Roll-out mats are acceptable only when maintained on a weekly basis by a contracted service organization.
  • Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used (e.g. garages, housekeeping and laundry areas, science laboratories, prep rooms, art rooms, shops of any kind, and copying and printing rooms) to create negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces when the doors to the room are closed. For each of these spaces, provide self-closing doors and deck-to-deck partitions or a hard-lid ceiling. The exhaust rate must be at least 0.50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per square foot (0.15 cubic meters per minute per square meter) with no air recirculation. The pressure differential with the surrounding spaces must be at least 5 Pascals (Pa) (0.02 inches of water gauge) on average and 1 Pa (0.004 inches of water) at a minimum when the doors to the rooms are closed.
  • In mechanically ventilated buildings, each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air shall comply with the following:
    • Particle filters or air cleaning devices shall be provided to clean the outdoor air at any location prior to its introduction to occupied spaces.
    • These filters or devices shall meet one of the following criteria:
      • Filtration media is rated at a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2
      • Filtration media is Class F7 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779: 2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance
      • [East Asia ACP: Filtration Media]
      • Filtration media has a minimum dust spot efficiency of 80% or higher and greater than 98% arrestance on a particle size of 3–10 µg.
    • Clean air filtration media shall be installed in all air systems after completion of construction and prior to occupancy.

    Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

    IAQ-HIGH">East Asia ACP: Filtration Media
    Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as high efficiency (高中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008 (空气过滤器). [view:embed_resource=page_1=4787157]

XX%

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Got the gist of IEQc5 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium members get:

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In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

Should track-off mats being used on the project to meet IEQc5 requirements be included in IEQc4.3 credit requirements?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

What is the definition of a high-volume copier?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Do I need to provide dedicated exhaust for my printer or copier?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

I do not have 10' of space inside my building entrance to install a walk-off system. Can I include one on the exterior? Can the shape be irregular?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

What does ‘regularly used exterior entrance’ mean and how do I know which of my building entrances falls under this category?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Are entryway mats required for a building entrance from another building?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Can I use carpet tile as a track-off system? What about carpet?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Our building has a green cleaning program and is earning an ID credit for it, based on the LEED-EBOM IEQc3 requirements. Can we skip the exhaust requirements for our janitor rooms?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

LEEDuser expert

Mohammad H Abbasi

WSP
Senior Consultant

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-2009 IEQc5