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Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Can It Affect My Business?
Many of us are aware of outdoor air pollution and the negative affects on human health. Yet frequently, research studies indicate indoor air pollution can be just as harmful.
When indoor air quality deteriorates, it affects productivity and cognitive function, whether it be in an office building or an elementary school.
FACT: Preliminary findings from the EPA demonstrate that many ambient air pollutants are also found in indoor air often in higher concentrations
To many people the term ‘air pollution’ conjures visions of huge smokestacks belching voluminous quantities of black smoke, or a great brown haze shrouding the spires of a modern city. But what of indoor air pollution? Typically there are no visible signs pointing to deteriorated indoor air quality. You may associate this concept more closely with the short term, sickening smell that lingers briefly after an exterminator has passed through your office laying down a thin layer of pesticide. Yet many indoor pollutants,notably microorganisms or carbon monoxide, may emit no odor at all.
In recent years, indoor air quality issues have been gaining increased attention, especially within EPA. Comparative risk studies at EPA have ranked indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks to public health.
Preliminary findings released by EPA:
Ventilation Ductwork - containing stagnant pools of water combined with natural air pollutants (pollen, mold spores, fungi) can become a serious threat to the quality of the indoor ambient air.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) - present as a result of maintenance activities, furnishings, or certain commercial activities, many times are present in elevated levels due to stagnant air conditions as a result of faulty HVAC equipment.
Once these pollutants are inside a building, the movement of air within the building largely dictates the exposure of an individual to any of them. In commercial office buildings, air
handling within the building is regulated by the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) system.
Additional information on the EPA study can be obtained by contacting Action Environmental at www.info@actionhazmat.com.
Article taken from excerpts of article entitled, “EPA’s focus on IAQ”,
Environmental Protection Magazine, March 2000.
www.businessweek.com
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