Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air inside buildings as represented by concentrations of pollutants and thermal (temperature and relative humidity) conditions that affect the health, comfort, and performance of occupants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Indoor Air Quality as: The temperature, humidity, ventilation and chemical or biological contaminants of the air inside a building.

The growing proliferation of chemical pollutants in consumer and commercial products, the tendency toward tighter building envelopes and reduced ventilation to save energy, and pressures to defer maintenance and other building services to reduce costs may foster Indoor Air Quality problems.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a very serious issue and it requires immediate attention. Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health but many do not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant health effects.  The US Environmental Protection Agency studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2-5 times, and occasionally more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels.  These levels of indoor air pollutants may be of particular concern because most people spend about 90% of their time indoors and hence the importance of Indoor Air Quality.

In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.

In addition, people who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are often those most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution. Such groups include the young, the elderly, and the chronically ill, especially those suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular disease.

Let’s see how Indoor Air Quality is affecting million and billions of people around the world. Asthma afflicts about 20 million Americans, including 6.3 million children.  Since 1980, the biggest growth in asthma cases has been in children under five.  In 2000 there were nearly 2 million emergency room visits and nearly half a million hospitalizations due to asthma, at a cost of almost $2 billion, and causing 14 million school days missed each year.

Indoor Air Quality problems are not limited to homes. In fact, many office buildings have significant air pollution sources. Some of these buildings may be inadequately ventilated. For example, mechanical ventilation systems may not be designed or operated to provide adequate amounts of outdoor air. Finally, people generally have less control over the indoor environment and Indoor Air Quality in their offices than they do in their homes. As a result, there has been an increase in the incidence of reported health problems.