Six Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality Now

TASA ID: 931

Air quality is an important issue to anyone's health, and many people don't realize that their health issues and illnesses could be significantly diminished if their air quality was improved. There is much scientific evidence to suggest that the indoor air can be more polluted than the air outdoors, even in industrialized areas.

When people spend eight or more hours a day in the same building, it's a good idea to determine the quality of the building's air. Fortunately, there are six easy steps you can take right now to check the air quality of any building, and begin taking steps to fix any issues you find.

1. Review your existing ventilation systems

A ventilation system includes anything that relates to airflow in and out of your building, such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) or an exhaust system. Ventilation systems affect the quality of your indoor air. Without proper air exchange, contaminants in the air will remain, building up over time and possibly causing Sick Building Syndrome for you or your coworkers.

Make sure your ventilation system is designed and operated to ensure proper airflow. This may involve calling on indoor air quality and HVAC experts to examine your systems and let you know whether they're sufficient for your building's size and location.

2. Routinely check all air filters

Even the best ventilation systems are nearly useless if your air filters are old or inefficient. Air filters are used to catch dust, debris, and other contaminants before they can circulate around your building and compromise air quality. If an air filter is too full or of poor quality, these harmful particles will simply pass through untouched to circulate in the building  airflow.

When inspecting your air filters, check for large amounts of dust or other foreign materials clogging up the filters. If the filters look like they aren't doing their job, don't attempt to clean them - just replace them. After the initial replacement, set up a schedule for yourself to continue replacing the filters every three months. When selecting a replacement filter, don't simply buy the cheapest model. The quality of the filter, specified by its minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), can have a significant effect on how well it performs.

3. Inspect all sources of water for leakage and condensation

People may not immediately understand the connection between a loose water pipe and air quality, but the two have a lot to do with one another. Constantly dripping water can cause a build up of mold and bacteria, which is disastrous for air quality. For example, elevated levels of mold spores can cause an asthma attack in sensitive individuals.  Water infiltration can also cause excessive humidity, leading to discomfort and even breathing problems in some individuals.

Perform a building-wide inspection of sources of condensation or water leakage, including pipes, the roof, and the basement. Even if you don't see a leak, check for mold - this may be a sign that you have a leak during conditions of heavy rain or high flow in the pipes.

4. Review storage of chemicals

Even if chemicals appear to be stored properly, they still represent potential air quality hazards. Many chemicals, if not stored in an air-tight fashion, will evaporate over time, contaminating the air. This is of special concern because chemicals can be much more hazardous to health than more common contaminants, such as dust. Evaporated chemicals will also not be removed by air filters. 

This applies to buildings that are involved in industries that use a variety of chemicals in large quantities, but virtually any building is at risk from evaporated chemicals in everyday substances such as cleaners and solvents. Make sure any chemicals in your building are stored properly. 

5. Be aware of air emissions from equipment

Buildings that contain manufacturing equipment or other large machinery are at high risk for poor air quality if that equipment is not ventilated correctly. Imagine the exhaust from that machinery, filled with impurities and contaminants, filling the building's air that you and your coworkers breathe all day. It is crucial that exhaust products are vented out of your building.

Make sure any equipment that generates exhaust is vented outside via the shortest route possible. Check the path that leads the exhaust outside for any places where exhaust could escape, such as cracks or gaps in piping. There are many EPA and OSHA regulations that govern air emissions from manufacturing equipment, so make sure you understand these before making changes.

6. Consider a professional indoor air quality assessment

As we described, there are basic things you can do on your own to check and improve your air quality, but a professional review can catch and fix many things you wouldn't see. Professionals can point out any OSHA or EPA-related issues that may exist in your building, saving you costly fines.

Professional indoor air quality assessments should be conducted using standard EPA protocols and the I-BEAM software and often involve measurements of air flow, pressure, dust levels, humidity, carbon monoxide and other chemical concentrations. 

This article discusses issues of general interest and does not give any specific legal, medical, or business advice pertaining to any specific circumstances.  Before acting upon any of its information, you should obtain appropriate advice from a lawyer or other qualified professional.

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