Indoor Air Quality (IAQ):
IAQ is the quality of indoor air that can affect an individuals overall health status. In most cases IAQ simply refers to how safe/comfortable the indoor air is for breathing and inhabiting by building occupants.
Indoor Air Pollution (IAP):
The plethora of pollutants that exist in indoor environments. The pervasiveness of indoor air pollution and human exposure to indoor pollutants and contaminated air is a major public health issue.
What are the causes or IAP?
Although poor indoor air quality can be traced to many factors, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) has noted some causes are:
Microbial contamination, Contamination from inside the building (including fire damage and water damage), Contamination from outside the building, Inadequate Ventilation and Fabric Contamination.
PURE SERVICE PRO has the expertise to deal with the complete range of causes for contaminated air and poor indoor air quality. We provide Contaminated-Indoor-Air-Quality testing and remediation services in New Jersey (NJ) and Pennsylvania (PA).
Who does it affect?
The quality of indoor air effects everyone who is exposed to it, however the groups most effected are:
** Young Children, Elderly and Individuals with compromised immune systems or other predisposed conditions.
** But again, NO ONE is immune to the effects of indoor air pollution, IAP.
Why should we be concerned about IAQ?
Today, we spend about 90% of our time indoors. With all this time spent inside its possible for certain air contaminants to gather in dangerously high concentrations; sometimes even higher than pollutant concentrations outdoors. IAQ can also contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases including: asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
More minor related heath effects from “bad” indoor air are: headache, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. Again, people who already have respiratory difficulties will feel these effects greater than those who do not have predisposed conditions. All of this makes it difficult for individuals to operate effectively.; not only affecting the health of certain individuals, but also economically it is not ideal for a business or company to be losing out on productivity due to poor air quality in the work place.
What kinds of pollutants contribute to IAQ?
There are many sources of indoor air pollution. Here is a brief list:
1. Temperature/Humidity
2. Microbial Contamination
3. Tobacco smoke
4. Overcrowding
5. Off-gassing from office equipment
6. Outside air pollutants
7. Poor lighting
8. Excessive/unnecessary noise
9. Adverse ergonomic conditions
10. Cleaning agents
11. Pesticides
What are some illnesses associated with IAQ?
Reported health risks associated with IAP include eye, nose and throat irritations, central nervous system disorders (CND), allergic sensitivity reaction and a variety of other respiratory and health problems as further described on the Health Risks page.
The most common illness associated with bad building air is Sick Building Syndrome. SBS has physical symptoms without clearly identifiable causes. Some symptoms associated with SBS are dry mucous membranes and eye, nose and throat irritation. These disorders can lead to employee sick days and loss of business efficiency. In more severe cases an individual can experience respiratory based health effects like asthma.
How can I avoid exposure to “Bad” air?
Periodically, getting your facility checked by a professionally Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP) will ensure your safety and the safety of others.
In addition, certain basic procedures can assist, but cannot be solely relied upon for a healthy environment. Such procedures include ensuring you’re buildings HVAC system is functioning properly. Proper ventilation systems keep air circulating in a building to mix fresh outdoor air consistently. Also, having the lay out of your building evaluated to ensure your systems vent locations are effective, operational and being maintained. And lastly, ensuring office equipment (such as: computers, copiers, other electronics etc.) are in well ventilated areas to avoid high concentrations of their harmful contaminant’s stacking up from off-gassing.
Who can I contact with questions/concerns about IAQ?
If you think that your property may be causing some adverse health effects the first thing you should do is contact a professionally Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP) such as Pure Service Pro.
It really is all about you.
Let us show HELP.
The best thing to remember is if you feel like you’re getting sick in your property it probably does have an issue with IAQ, and it is in your best interest as well as the interest of others to have it immediately evaluated by a certified professional.
