What is indoor air pollution and how does it affect acceptable indoor air quality?

The definition of indoor air pollution broadly refers to physical, chemical or biological contaminants. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls air pollution “the invisible killer.” Research data shows nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe air containing high levels of pollution. The WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections.³

Indoor air pollution plays a critical role when looking at the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that IAQ: “refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns.”⁴

The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) summarizes, “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.”⁵

IAQ is part of the larger picture for improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health. Supporting health, indoor air quality, and environmental quality, our entire portfolio of stone wool products is GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low emissions.

What should we know about how to measure, test and improve indoor air quality?

When measuring indoor air pollution and complying with IAQ standards, U.S. commercial building spaces typically follow ASHRAE 62.1, “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.” 

The 2016 version includes a significant change with new requirements to the Indoor Air Quality Procedure. The updated procedure determines minimum ventilation rates be considering the combined effects of multiple contaminants on individual organ systems.¹²

There is no single test to find an IAQ problem and there currently are no OSHA indoor air quality standards, but it does provide guidelines about the most common IAQ workplace complaints.

• "Employers are required to follow the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act, 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."
• "The OSH Act 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.”
• “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."
• "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.”
• “You may also request a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). At no cost to employers or workers, NIOSH may investigate workplace health hazards in response to requests from employers, employees and their representatives, and federal agencies.”¹³

Prevention is preferred to intervention and remediation, and less costly. To improve IAQ and to ensure indoor environmental quality, begin with these goals as part of the design process. IEQ should be discussed in every step of your project’s development: from site planning and orientation, to operable windows that provide access to natural ventilation and HVAC equipment that is sized and zoned correctly, to regular maintenance of equipment and green cleaning practices.

Beyond IAQ to IEQ - optimizing the indoor experience and environmental quality

The air and environment inside the spaces where we learn, work, heal, eat, shop and play should not make us sick. Ideally, they should keep us healthy. In working toward this goal, more building owners and occupants are following LEED, WELL and other green building guidelines that embrace health and wellness for both people and the planet. Many of these guidelines and standards recognize the integrated significance of air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort and auditory comfort on the indoor experience and environmental quality.

As designs trend toward higher ceilings and larger windows, this allows for more connection to the outdoor environment, as well as better use of natural light in the indoor environment. Remember also that hot air rises and with it, air pollutants and unwanted heat may be carried upward and properly vented. Higher ceilings support the creation of a cooler, cleaner, and more breathable area for the occupants to enjoy.

Our products enhance occupants’ health, wellness, and IEQ by contributing to their visual comforts, such as maximizing light reflectance and improving light diffusion to reduce glare and associated eye strain.

Occupants’ auditory comfort also is essential to their indoor experience and IEQ. Controlling noise from exterior sources, such as traffic or pedestrians, may be considered when designing the building. But such acoustic considerations often can be overlooked when choosing ventilation, heating, cooling, illumination and electronic equipment, or privacy and concentration needed within the building’s walls.

Our sound-absorbing ceiling tiles, Island^® Wall Systems, and Plenum Barrier Board help you optimize acoustics to manage background sound pollution, improve speech intelligibility and maintain confidential conversations.

When people experience greater comfort and more control over their environment, they are less stressed and irritable, take fewer sick days, are more accurate and productive, and ultimately, can make a more positive impact in their work and in their communities.