INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) in CLOSED BUILDINGS

Hi guys!!  I promised to bring you the details on the adverse effects of staying in A/C rooms all day long because most times we are ignorant of its consequences!
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Indoor air quality (also called "indoor environmental quality") describes how inside air can affect a person's health, comfort, and ability to work.  It can include temperature, humidity, lack of outside air (poor ventilation), mold from water damage, or exposure to other chemicals. 
The qualities of good IAQ should include comfortable temperature and humidity, adequate supply of fresh outdoor air, and control of pollutants from inside and outside of the building. 
The most common causes of IAQ problems in buildings are:

• Not enough ventilation, lack of fresh outdoor air or contaminated air being brought into the building
• Poor upkeep of ventilation, heating and air-conditioning systems,
• Dampness and moisture damage due to leaks, flooding or high humidity.
• Occupant activities, such as construction or remodeling, use of poor quality infrastructure.
• Indoor and Outdoor contaminated air.

Moist effect on the Wall.

People working in buildings with poor IAQ may notice unpleasant or musty odors or may feel that the building is hot and stuffy. Some workers complain about symptoms that happen at work and go away when they leave work, like having headaches, or feeling tired. Hay fever (allergic Rhinitis) or Fever, cough, and shortness of breath can be symptoms of a more serious problem. Asthma and some causes of pneumonia (for example, Legionnaires’ Disease and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis) have been linked to IAQ problems. If you have symptoms that are not going away or are getting worse, talk to your doctor about them. But not all exposures cause symptoms, so there is no substitute for good building management. 

There is no single test to find an IAQ problem. Your employer should check measurements of temperature, humidity and air flow. In addition, inspection and testing of the ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems (to make sure it is working according to specifications for building use and occupancy) should be performed WHICH is not always the case. But hey ,we  know oftentimes, that we are more concerned about the AC units working and nothing else.
 A building walk-through to check for odors and look for water damage, leaks, dirt or pest droppings may be helpful. Leaks need to be eliminated. Standing water in humidifiers, air conditioning units, on roofs and in boiler pans can become contaminated with bacteria or fungi and need to be eliminated, also. In some circumstances, specific testing for radon or for asbestos may be required as part of building occupancy. For instance, in schools asbestos needs to be checked every three years and re-inspected every 6 months (under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act- AHERA).  This act is not in Nigeria
 but can be emulated.
Employers are required to follow the General Duty Clause, which requires them to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any known hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury. This is also requires employers to obey occupational safety and health standards created under it. Employers should be reasonably aware of the possible sources of poor air quality, and they should have the resources necessary to recognize and control workplace hazards. It is also their responsibility to inform employees of the immediate dangers that are present.Specific state and local regulations may apply.


The following information may be helpful to your doctor or your employer to figure out if there is an IAQ problem at your workplace:

• Do you have symptoms that just occur at work and go away when you get home?  What are these symptoms?
• Are these symptoms related to a certain time of day, a certain season or certain location at work?
• Did the symptoms start when something new happened at work, such as renovation or construction projects?
• Are there other people at work with similar complaints?
• Did you already see a doctor for your symptoms, and if so, did the doctor diagnose an illness related to IAQ?

Plants in the Office

If you are concerned about air quality at work, ask your employer to check the ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems and to make sure there is no water damage. If you think that you have symptoms that may be related to IAQ at your work, talk to your doctor about them to see if they could be caused by indoor air pollution.

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