Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Poor indoor air quality is closely related to problems associated with mold. Other sources of indoor air problems include oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

Solutions to air quality problems involve eliminating or controlling the sources of pollution, increasing ventilation, and installing air-cleaning devices. The EPA has created a free program, The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM), specifically for people who manage commercial buildings. I-BEAM contains text, animation/visual, and interactive/calculation components that can be used to perform several tasks, including the following:

• Conducting an indoor air quality (IAQ) building audit
• Diagnosing and resolving IAQ-related health problems
• Establishing an IAQ management and maintenance program to reduce IAQ risks
• Planning IAQ-compatible energy projects
• Protecting occupants from exposures to construction/renovation contaminants
• Calculating the cost, revenue, and productivity impacts of planned IAQ activities

I-BEAM is available on CD-ROM. To obtain a free CD-ROM copy, contact the IAQ INFO Clearinghouse at 1-800-431-4318 or via e-mail at iaqinfo@aol.com, and ask for EPA 402-C-03-002. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/largebldgs/i-beam/

Although the training materials are free, learning and applying the I-BEAM program is an extensive process that could be costly in terms of time and dedicated personnel. Depending on the severity of the problem in a building, hiring an outside contractor may be wise, especially if sophisticated testing seems warranted.

What to Do Before Testing the Air

Before hiring special consultants for expensive air testing, the Connecticut Department of Public Health suggests the following:

• Walk through the building using your eyes, nose, and common sense to identify potential problems.
• Look at general cleanliness (or lack thereof) in each of the areas you inspect.
• See if building services can substitute cleaning agents that are less odoriferous than the ones currently in use.
• Inspect all areas including maintenance areas, mechanical rooms that house ventilation equipment, chemical storage closets, and custodial areas.
• Note the carpeting. How is it cleaned and how often? Does it ever get wet from flooding, roof leaks, etc., and if so, how quickly is it dried out?
• Inspect the exterior of the building and look for potential pollution sources.
• Look for locations of fresh air intakes and exhausts. Are they too close together? Do they allow exhaust air to be sucked back into the building via the intakes? Are the intakes located near dumpsters or where buses, trucks, or cars idle?
• Look at how low the building is set on the land. Does the land slope downward toward the building, allowing rainwater to pool along the foundation? Is the building located on former swampland or landfill? Is a high water table or underground stream under the building? Is landscaping too close to the building?
• Compare the hours the building is in use with the settings of automatic timers that control the ventilation system. Ventilation systems should be turned on early enough to reach full capacity before people arrive to use the building.
• Check with the service contractor for the heating and ventilation system. Ask how often the filters are changed and other maintenance work is done. Check the maintenance log to ensure work is completed.
• Schedule minor renovations, such as painting, floor resurfacing, carpet installation, etc., during off-peak hours. Use low-emitting paint, glues, polyurethane, and other building materials whenever possible.
• For major renovations, isolate the construction area using barrier techniques to minimize contamination to other areas.

Other useful steps include the following:

• Take a history of the physical plant and any past and present maintenance problems. Note whether previous use of the building or land was different from the current use.
• Review the architectural plan and mechanical blueprints, interview maintenance staff, and study anything else that would add information to the physical structure of the building and the activities that occur in and around it.
• Talk to building occupants. Do they have specific types of complaints or symptoms?

Indoor testing may be useful under the following circumstances:

• It is part of an overall evaluation.
• The data is interpretable.
• The data has a descriptive component that helps to illustrate its place in the overall evaluation.