Indoor Air Quality Matters

[Micheal Jorden]

When was the last time you changed the air filter in your house? Was it dirty? Disgusting I know. Would you ever wonder how your house...your home might be so contaminated with air pollutants? Embarrassing as it might be you're not alone.

After replacing my own personal filters, I came across myself wondering; where on the planet does all this dirt result from? "You can find only three people residing in my home and I recently changed these exact things 45 days ago Indoor Air Quality Testing." Sound familiar? Now sitting in your office, look up at the supply air grille above you. How clean can you suppose the air is...that cool, refreshing perk that you take for granted? Hmmmm?

According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the common employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents within their study worked over 50 hours per week. My math informs me that people spend typically 9-10 hours a day at the office. Are you concerned with the indoor quality of air in your building yet? Well, you need to be so keep reading.

Side Note: "IAQ (indoor air quality) can impact the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants Whole Home Air Humidifiers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rand IAQ among probably the most serious environmental problems in the country. With many Americans spending around 90% of their time indoors, IAQ has turned into a major concern." Source: Kimberly Clark.

IAQ has been written about so often times that when researching this topic, Google went into search engine overload. From the EPA, to U.S. Senators, to Green Peace and inspiring authors such as for instance myself, IAQ has always been a warm topic. This month's edition of Mechanical Matters® is specialized in IAQ and why proper air filtration program is important. I will discuss the consequences of IAQ, and what precautions building owners and managers alike may do to help keep their investment healthy. But first let's learn only a little about IAQ and the definition as presented in the world's free encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) handles the content of interior air that may affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be compromised by microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria), chemicals (such as carbon monoxide, radon), allergens, or any mass or energy stressor that may induce health effects. Recent findings have demonstrated that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air (albeit with different pollutants) although it's not changed the most popular understanding of air pollution Indoor Air Quality. In fact, indoor air is often a larger health hazard than the corresponding outdoor setting. Using ventilation to dilute contaminants, filtration, and source control are the primary methods for improving indoor quality of air in many buildings.