WE SPEND NEARLY 90% OF OUR LIVES INDOORS Five Key Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality

Creating Healthier Buildings with Improved Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) directly impacts our health and well-being. Studies show that people spend nearly 90% of their lives indoors, so maintaining good IAQ directly supports respiratory health, minimizes fatigue, and improves overall comfort. Poor IAQ can contribute to reduced productivity, higher rates of absenteeism, and potential legal risks. Prioritizing IAQ leads to healthier, safer, and more productive indoor spaces.

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Indoor Air Contaminants

Indoor air quality can be impacted by various contaminants, with four primary indoor air contaminants playing a significant role in shaping overall air quality:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO?): Insufficient ventilation can lead to elevated CO? levels, causing drowsiness, reduced concentration, and overall discomfort.
• Airborne Particulate Matter (PM): Dust, pollen, and smoke can irritate respiratory systems and exacerbate allergies. Effective filtration systems can help reduce these harmful particulates.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Released from common household items like cleaning products, paints, and new furniture, VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Prolonged exposure may pose more serious health risks.
• Ozone (O?): Often generated by office equipment like copiers, ozone can worsen respiratory issues and cause lung irritation.

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Other contaminants of concern include carbon monoxide, typically linked to combustion sources, mold spores resulting from excess moisture, and radon, a radioactive gas naturally present in certain regions.

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Five Key Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality

?Several key factors significantly influence indoor air quality, each playing a role in creating a healthier, more comfortable environment:

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1. Ventilation: Bringing fresh outdoor air indoors dilutes contaminants, enhancing air quality. Poor ventilation can lead to higher indoor contaminants, impacting comfort and health.
2. Filtration: Effective filtration captures airborne particulate matter, reducing contaminants that degrade IAQ. Low-efficiency or poorly maintained filters allow contaminants to bypass filtration, circulating them throughout the indoor space.
3. Outdoor Air Quality: Outdoor air quality directly affects IAQ, particularly in regions with high pollution levels. Proper filtration and sealed building structures help protect indoor spaces from external contaminants.
4. Indoor Pollution Sources: Indoor items, such as new carpets, furniture, and cleaning products, emit VOCs. Even household items like vacuum cleaners can recirculate dust and irritants without effective filtration.
5. Humidity and Moisture Control: High humidity encourages mold growth, releasing spores that can result in respiratory issues. Maintaining balanced humidity levels helps reduce mold risk and promote a healthier environment.

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Solutions to Address Indoor Air Quality Issues

?Maintaining a healthy and comfortable indoor environment can be achieved through effective management of IAQ. One primary strategy for achieving this is HVAC system optimization, which includes improving ventilation, filtration, and ensuring regular maintenance. Proper ventilation dilutes indoor contaminants, enhancing air quality, while high-quality filters capture airborne particle matter to reduce exposure to harmful contaminants. Regular inspections and timely filter replacements help keep the HVAC system functioning efficiently, supporting consistent indoor air quality. Additionally, measures to shield indoor spaces from outdoor air pollution are important; filtration systems that prevent outdoor contaminants from entering and well-sealed building envelopes minimize the infiltration of harmful particles from the outside.

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Source control and humidity regulation are also key to improving IAQ. Selecting low-emission materials for furniture, carpets, and cleaning products significantly reduces indoor contaminants at their source. Adequate ventilation further dilutes emissions from high-contaminant items, while portable HEPA air purifiers add another layer of filtration in high-traffic areas. Maintaining balanced humidity levels prevents moisture-related issues, such as mold growth, which can impact air quality over time.

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Intertek’s IAQ Services

Intertek 's specialized IAQ consulting and verification services are designed for professionals, such as facility managers, building owners, property managers, and environmental health and safety officers, responsible for maintaining healthy indoor environments in commercial buildings, schools, and large residential complexes.

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• IAQ Verification Testing: Intertek conducts comprehensive IAQ testing to ensure compliance with leading healthy building standards, including LEED and WELL certifications, which emphasize sustainable and health-conscious design. Verification testing addresses core IAQ parameters, such as CO?, particulate matter, VOCs, and humidity, identifying areas for improvement.
• Occupant Complaint Resolution: IAQ complaints, often registered due to discomfort or perceived poor air quality, are resolved through a systematic approach. Intertek’s team investigates the sources of discomfort and designs customized solutions to enhance IAQ, focusing on ventilation adjustments, filtration upgrades, and source control measures.
• Consulting for New Construction and Renovations: For buildings in the design or renovation phase, Intertek provides IAQ consulting that includes optimal HVAC design, material selection, and ventilation strategies to meet high IAQ standards. Working with architects and project managers, Intertek provides confidence that buildings are equipped with effective air quality measures from the start, reducing the likelihood of IAQ issues post-occupancy.
• Support for Healthy Building Programs: Intertek assists clients in achieving certification under healthy building programs like LEED, WELL, and Fitwel. These programs require documented IAQ measures, including design strategies, verification testing, and maintenance plans, to create environments that prioritize occupant health. Intertek’s IAQ consulting helps organizations meet these rigorous standards, aligning IAQ practices with broader sustainability and wellness goals.

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Given how much time people spend indoors, IAQ is critical to ensuring a safe, comfortable, and productive indoor environment. Intertek’s consulting and verification services offer essential support that creates and maintains healthy indoor spaces that align with sustainability and wellness goals, benefiting all occupants.

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For more information, click here, to download our Building Health and Wellness Service Spotlight. Click here to listen to Jeremy Jernigan , a chief scientist and principal consultant at Intertek, discuss the importance of IAQ. With over 25 years of experience in environmental health and safety, Jeremy provides valuable insights on maintaining healthy indoor environments.