Study Overview
The Indoor Environment Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the State University of New York Upstate Medical University (SUNY) are investigating whether indoor air concentrations of carbon dioxide, at levels commonly reached in crowded indoor spaces, affect decision making performance, satisfaction with indoor air quality, or acute health symptoms such as headache. We are seeking university students who can spend approximately thirty minutes at LBNL for an orientation and then who can participate for ten-hours on one day in a room at LBNL, located above the U.C. Berkeley Campus. The day will include three sessions, and participants will be compensated. (We may overbook sessions to ensure having full test groups. If more than the required number of subjects is present on the morning of a test, we will excuse any extra subjects, but they will still receive the same compensation as the participants.) The concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air within the room will be artificially controlled but never above concentrations of metabolically-produced carbon dioxide experienced in some crowded rooms including some classrooms. During the first 45 minutes of each session, subjects will be free to perform school work or read. During the subsequent one and three quarter hours of each session, subjects will take a test of decision making performance and complete a short questionnaire about their satisfaction with indoor air quality, and acute health symptoms. There will be a one-hour break between sessions; participants should bring lunch to eat during the first break. Carbon dioxide concentrations will vary between sessions. The resulting data will be analyzed to determine whether the normally encountered variations in indoor carbon dioxide concentrations have subtle impacts on decision making performance, satisfaction with indoor air quality, or acute health symptoms.
About Carbon Dioxide
Because carbon dioxide is a gas released by people in their exhaled air as a normal metabolic by product, indoor air concentrations of carbon dioxide in occupied buildings exceed the outdoor air concentration which is approximately 380 parts per million (i.e., 380 molecules of carbon dioxide 1,000,000 molecules of air). The indoor air carbon dioxide concentration is determined largely by the amount of outdoor air supplied per occupant and the level of occupant activity. Concentrations of carbon dioxide in office buildings are normally between 600 and 1000 parts per million. About 40% of elementary grade classrooms have carbon dioxide concentrations exceeding 1000 parts per million, 10% have concentrations greater than 2000 parts per million, and a few classrooms have carbon dioxide concentrations above 4000 parts per million.
At the concentrations experienced in these typical buildings, carbon dioxide is not dangerous to health; however, much higher concentrations can be dangerous. Exposures to CO2 at concentrations greater than 20,000 parts per million cause a deepened breathing, at 40,000 parts per million breathing rates are is increased markedly, at 100,000 parts per million visual disturbances, tremors (e.g., shaky hands) , and loss of consciousness have been reported, and 250,000 parts per million can cause death.
Two small recent studies performed in Europe have found evidence that carbon dioxide concentrations of 2000 parts per million or higher, found in many crowded rooms, may have subtle impacts on people. At these carbon dioxide concentrations, satisfaction with indoor air quality and performance of some types of simulated office work was slightly diminished.
The study being undertaken by LBNL and SUNY is designed to provide an additional test for subtle effects of indoor carbon dioxide on people. In this study, carbon dioxide concentrations during the three sessions will be approximately 550, 1000, and 2500 parts per million, respectively, but participants will not be informed of which of these indoor carbon dioxide concentrations is being used in specific sessions.
Eligibility
To be eligible for participation in this study
- you must be at least 18 years old
- you must be available to participate during at least three sessions identified in the subsequent list of sessions
- you must be able to transport yourself to the study site (accessible by car plus a short walk or by taking a shuttle bus plus a short walk)
- you must be proficient in use of a personal computer
- you must not be pregnant or a nursing mother (not because of any known health risks but because pregnancy may cause your normal health symptoms to vary among sessions)
- you must not require a wheel chair (the room where studies will take place is not wheel chair accessible)
- you must not have any disability in vision, hearing, or movement that significantly inhibits your ability to receive training via a video or compute a rapid-paced 1.5 hour computerized test
- you must not be an employee of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, but you can be a U.C. student working on-site at LBNL if not paid by LBNL
- you must give informed consent
Study Dates and Times
| Day # | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday, January 19, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 2 | Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 3 | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 4 | Thursday, January 22, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 5 | Friday, January 23, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 6 | Saturday, January 24, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 7 | Monday, January 26, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 8 | Tuesday, January 27, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 9 | Wednesday, January 28, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 10 | Thursday, January 29, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 11 | Friday, January 30, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 12 | Saturday, January 31, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 13 | Monday, February 02, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 14 | Tuesday, February 03, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 15 | Wednesday, February 04, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 16 | Thursday, February 05, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 17 | Friday, February 06, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 18 | Saturday, February 07, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 19 | Monday, February 09, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 20 | Tuesday, February 10, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 21 | Wednesday, February 11, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 22 | Thursday, February 12, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 23 | Friday, February 13, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 24 | Saturday, February 14, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 25 | Monday, February 16, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 26 | Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 27 | Wednesday, February 18, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 28 | Thursday, February 19, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 29 | Friday, February 20, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 30 | Saturday, February 21, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 31 | Monday, February 23, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 32 | Tuesday, February 24, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 33 | Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 34 | Thursday, February 26, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 35 | Friday, February 27, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 36 | Saturday, February 28, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 37 | Monday, March 02, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 38 | Tuesday, March 03, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 39 | Wednesday, March 04, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 40 | Thursday, March 05, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 41 | Friday, March 06, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 42 | Saturday, March 07, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 43 | Monday, March 09, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 44 | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 45 | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 46 | Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 47 | Friday, March 13, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 48 | Saturday, March 14, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 49 | Monday, March 16, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 50 | Tuesday, March 17, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 51 | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 52 | Thursday, March 19, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 53 | Friday, March 20, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 54 | Saturday, March 21, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 55 | Monday, March 23, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 56 | Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 57 | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 58 | Thursday, March 26, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 59 | Friday, March 27, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 60 | Saturday, March 28, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 61 | Monday, March 30, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 62 | Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 63 | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 64 | Thursday, April 02, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 65 | Friday, April 03, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| 66 | Saturday, April 04, 2009 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
Interested?
Participation in this study is completely voluntary. If you meet all of the eligibility criteria and are interested in participating, please click on the icon below to download the LBNL consent form and read the form.
Consent FormIf, after reading the consent form, you remain interested in participating, please contact Tosh Hotchi [, (510) 326-3729] or Doug Sullivan [, (510) 486-486-6367]. To maximize your chances of participating, please identify all of the sessions for which you are definitely available.