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Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can impact their health, but indoor air pollution can also have significant and harmful health effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies of human exposure to air pollutants. A recent study by the EPA found that most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Surprisingly, indoor levels of air pollutants can range up to 100 times higher than outdoor levels.
With the fall season quickly approaching - and more people headed indoors - consumers are beginning to wonder, does indoor air quality affect my health? Or does air quality affect my productivity levels?
These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. For the purposes of this guidance, the definition of good indoor air quality (IAQ) management includes:
Temperature and humidity cannot be overlooked because thermal comfort concerns underlie many complaints about "poor air quality." Furthermore, temperature and humidity are among the many factors that affect indoor contaminant levels.
Outdoor sources should also be considered since outdoor air enters school buildings through windows, doors and ventilation systems. Thus, transportation and grounds maintenance activities become factors that affect indoor pollutant levels as well as outdoor air quality on school grounds.
So what’s the connector between cutting technology and advancing air quality?
Coinciding with the smart building technology push is the building wellness movement. This new health trend brings about new standards (i.e. WELL and Fitwel) which are exclusive considerations to occupant health. As consumers begin to increasingly equate improved health and productivity with their indoor living/work environments, commercial real estate stakeholders need to be prepared.
