Inhalation exposure to pure and metabolic elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration has been associated with impaired work performance, lower perceived air quality, and increased health symptoms. In this study, the concentration of metabolic CO₂ was continuously measured in the inhalation zone of 41 subjects performing simulated office work. The measurements took place in an environmental chamber with well-controlled mechanical ventilation arranged as an office environment. The results showed the existence of a personal CO₂ cloud in the inhalation zone of all test subjects, characterized by the excess of metabolic CO₂ beyond the room background levels. For seated occupants, the median CO₂ inhalation zone concentration levels were between 200 and 500 ppm above the background, and the third quartile up to 800 ppm above the background. Each study subject had distinct magnitude of the personal CO₂ cloud owing to differences in metabolic CO₂ generation, posture, nose geometry, and breathing pattern. A small desktop oscillating fan proved to be suitable for dispersing much of the personal CO₂ cloud, thus reducing the inhalation zone concentration to background level. The results suggest that background measurements cannot capture the significant personal CO₂ cloud effect in human microclimate.

吸入暴露于纯净和代谢升高的二氧化碳 (CO ₂ ) 浓度与工作绩效受损、感知空气质量降低和健康症状增加有关。在这项研究中，连续测量了 41 名执行模拟办公室工作的受试者吸入区的代谢 CO _2浓度。测量是在一个环境室中进行的，该环境室具有良好控制的机械通风，布置为办公环境。结果表明，所有测试对象的吸入区都存在个人 CO _{2云，其特征是代谢 CO 2}超出室内背景水平。对于坐着的人，CO _{2的中位数}吸入区浓度水平高于背景 200 至 500 ppm，第三个四分位数高于背景 800 ppm。由于代谢 CO ₂生成、姿势、鼻子几何形状和呼吸模式的差异，每个研究对象都有不同程度的个人 CO _2云。事实证明，小型台式摆动风扇适合驱散大部分个人 CO ₂云，从而将吸入区浓度降至本底水平。结果表明，背景测量无法捕获人类微气候中显着的个人 CO ₂云效应。