Indoor Air Quality: Why It Matters In Commercial Spaces
Did you know that indoor air could contain four or five times more pollutants and allergens than outdoor air? That’s something to really pay attention to with the amount of time we’re spending indoors these days, swallowing an average of 15,000 gallons of air every 24 hours.
This is particularly true in commercial spaces such as office buildings, schools, and healthcare facilities, where the consequences of prolonged exposure to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can pose a major health risk to students, workers, and patients.
So why does this poor air quality happen, what are its consequences, and what can be done about it in a commercial setting? Let’s take a look.
Causes Of Poor IAQ
Commercial settings are prone to poor indoor air quality for several reasons, but the one that probably has the greatest impact on health is the increasingly air-tight nature of their construction.
In recent years, a trend toward eliminating or greatly reducing air leaks has resulted in dramatic increases in heating and cooling efficiency. But that efficiency often comes at a cost – namely reduced ventilation, including the introduction of fresh outdoor air. As a result, indoor pollutants often become trapped within a commercial space, leading to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)-related issues.
Some common pollutants that can get trapped inside a commercial space include:
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning products and construction materials
- Chemical gases (off-gassing) from paints, carpets, and adhesives
- Radon infiltration from the uranium within the soil beneath the building’s foundation
- Mold and fungi
Consequences Of Poor IAQ In Commercial Settings
Poor indoor air quality can create a range of health impacts, including headaches, fatigue, and nose, eye, and throat irritations. These symptoms can be particularly detrimental in settings such as:
- Schools – Children spend about 1,000 hours in school buildings during a normal year, where ventilation rates often fall below recommended levels. Poor ventilation in schools commonly correlates with higher absenteeism, higher rates of allergies and asthma, reduced concentration and recall in children, and lower productivity among teachers.
- Office Buildings – Poor indoor quality has similar impact on adult employees, who exhibit a lower ability to process information, make strategic decisions, and respond to crises. Workers in offices with healthy IAQ are more productive and show improved decision-making capabilities.
- Healthcare Facilities – Proper ventilation is especially important in healthcare settings, where workers and patients are regularly exposed to contaminants, including infectious contaminants. Health care facilities with poor ventilation are particularly susceptible to a build-up of fungi or mold.
If you are responsible for selecting a commercial ventilation system for your office, school, healthcare facility, or other commercial space, understanding the impact of IAQ is critical to making good choices about the HVAC equipment you install.
Our IAQ specialists can help you identify the ventilation solution that makes sense for your space and building – contact Rucci today to learn more about commercial IAQ installations in Staten Island and New Jersey.