How do you interpret indoor air quality assessment results?

Interpreting IAQ assessment results goes beyond simple comparisons. Understanding the context, analyzing the data, and seeking expert advice are crucial for accurately translating measurements into actionable insights. This ensures proactive steps can be taken to create a healthier and safer indoor environment for occupants.

Like many reports, it about what questions are you trying to answer. Is it about risk, am I doing everything today that I would reasonably be expected to do? What is a tolerable risk are there absolutes. Is it about compliance, what standards do I align with, and what does that threshold in a standard mean if an action is required? Is it about something else, performance, well-being, comfort, optics, knowledge, or value? Beyond the accuracy and applicability of a report, if it does not bring value what is the point?

O relatório da qualidade do ar deve ser analisado, em primeiro lugar quais foram as condi??es de coleta, por exemplo, se os locais amostrados s?o representativos de todo o local. Depois se as informa??es metrológicas dos equipamentos est?o definidos no relatório, e verificar a qualifica??o do profissional que fez as medi??es. Após as duas etapas, saber se todos os parametros estabelecidos na legisla??o foram atendidos e depois a análises dos resultados. Se possível , analisar os dados anteriores que pode demonstrar tendências importantes . Por fim, se as recomenda??es s?o factíveis e abrangentes

A análise do ar interno é fundamental para garantir um ambiente salutar ao desenvolvimento das atividades. Mas a primeira etapa, é a escolha de um fornecedor qualificado, com boas referências, bons equipamentos e excelentes profissionais. Garantindo esses pontos, faz-se as análises. No relatório é importante analisar se todos os pontos escolhidos est?o apresentados, verificar as evidências dos certificados de calibra??o dos instrumentos, se os laudos est?o assinados por um responsável técnico, se explica o método utilizado para as análises. Por fim, verifica-se a conclus?o e as recomenda??es para melhoria da QAI.

Outra etapa importantíssima para assegurar um bom índice do QAI. Vale ressaltar a busca por referências normativas, quais os requisitos legais em esfera federal, estadual ou municipal abordam esses aspectos. No Brasil temos algumas leis, como a Lei 13.589 de 2018 ?conhecida como ‘Nova lei do ar condicionado’. Ela disp?e sobre a obrigatoriedade da manuten??o de instala??es e equipamentos de sistemas de climatiza??o de ambientes e do monitoramento da qualidade do ar interior. A NBR 17037 de 04 de 2023 que aborda a qualidade do ar interior em ambientes n?o residenciais climatizados artificialmente, dentre outros instrumentos legais.

Standards provide a benchmark to judge performance against, but unless they are law, compulsory and carry a penalty then you have to be clear yourself what that standard means to your organisation and how you will hold yourself accountable for meeting it, a little like sustainability goals and targets, without a proper framework around them they can mean less than nothing.

Trends and patterns like statistics can mean very different things to different people depending on experiance, perspective, context and knwoeldge. If patterns require interpritation then like an assesment itself, your need to be clear what question you are asking and what does an action look like to change it? For example if patterns show particulate matter increasing in a kitchen when cooking is occurring, what does that pattern tell you that you don't already know? And what could you do to change it if it needs changing?

Can't argue with any of that. Needless to say as with a lot of risk individual perception and tolerance of risk can both differ and change with time. Risk assessment is an ongoing endeavour.

I can agree, IAQ - besides having significant impact on our health - also impacts product quality from food to paper, from electronics to art. I once heard: Whatever you smell is a small particle in your nose, imagine those particles on our food, on expensive art or anywhere else. So I see an impactful risk in this, that leads to huge losses every day.

A partir de todos os pontos mencionados anteriormente nesse artigo, e n?o menos importante chegamos ao momento de colocar em prática os resultados dos relatórios. é fundamental dar aten??o às recomenda??es e criar dentro da organiza??o um plano de a??o, que vise minimizar ou eliminar os itens críticos do relatório QAI. Uma dica, é envolver o responsáveis pela áreas que saíram do padr?o, trabalhar na conscientiza??o para que juntos cumpram os planos de a??es.

This is indeed a very important and complex step - figuring out which measures are bringing which improvement. This is hindered by a lack of digitalization of hygiene and IAQ measures in my opinion. It is important to look at this topic in a very dynamic way, as the influx of Pathogens, VOCs and other Particles is constant, we need solutions, that work automatically and not only in a sporadic manner.

We often talk about the risk of pollutants in terms of thresholds and standards and often don't view them through the lens of Harm. The total harm a pollutant can do and how often we are exposed to it can mean we often look in the wrong places. We should also consider the positive side of good outcomes much more clearly. How we frame benefits will often drive change far more effectively than the risk it poses.

Uma excelente dica é envolver a equipe de limpeza dos ambientes, com treinamentos teóricos e práticos sobre a importancia da higieniza??o correta dos ambientes. Cabe aten??o aos espa?os com fabrica??o de alimentos e onde a umidade é mais baixa.