Guidance For Indoor Air Quality Investigations

IAQ investigators are given the tools to conduct thorough IAQ investigations, be knowledgeable about ventilation system components, occupant concerns and symptoms, sources of chemical and biological contaminants, IAQ sampling methods, interpreting sampling data, and current IAQ guidelines, standards and practices. Causes and solutions for common IAQ problems are given, along with guidance for special environments, and practical resources (checklists and forms) to help resolve IAQ problems.

This book presents WHO guidelines for the protection of public health from risks due to a number of chemicals commonly present in indoor air. The substances considered in this review, i.e. benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzo[a]pyrene), radon, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, have indoor sources, are known in respect of their hazardousness to health and are often found indoors in concentrations of health concern. The guidelines are targeted at public health professionals involved in preventing health risks of environmental exposures, as well as specialists and authorities involved in the design and use of buildings, indoor materials and products. They provide a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major concern to businesses, schools, building managers, tenants, and workers because it can impact the health, comfort, well-being, and productivity of the building occupants. OSHA recognizes that poor IAQ can be hazardous to workers' health and that it is in the best interest of everyone that building owners, managers, and employers take a proactive approach to address IAQ concerns. This OSHA guidance document on IAQ, OSHA 3430-04 - Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings, provides practical recommendations that will help prevent or minimize IAQ problems in commercial and institutional buildings, and help resolve such problems quickly if they do arise. It provides flexible guidance to employers to help them keep their buildings free of pollutants or conditions that lead to poor IAQ. It also provides information on good IAQ management, including control of airborne pollutants, introduction and distribution of adequate make-up air, and maintenance of an acceptable temperature and relative humidity. Temperature and humidity are important because thermal comfort underlies many complaints about "poor air quality." Some of the information presented here has been derived from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) report, "An Office Building Occupant's Guide to IAQ" (1)1 and other documents listed in Appendix E, Selected Resources. The issue of environmental tobacco smoke will only be addressed in Appendix F, or indirectly in discussions of air quality relative to some possible components of tobacco smoke, e.g., carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulates, etc. In 1998, OSHA conducted a series of three workshops on this issue and the proceedings of these workshops were published in 1999. See Appendix F for more information. This document is directed primarily at employers, building owners and managers, and others responsible for building maintenance, but may also be used as a basic reference for all those involved in IAQ issues. Furthermore, information presented here can help with the decision of whether or not the services of an outside professional may be needed. The advice of a medical professional should always be sought if there are any immediate health issues. Contractors and other professionals (e.g., industrial hygienists or other environmental health and safety professionals) who respond to IAQ concerns, as well as members of the general public, may also find this information helpful.

Discusses pollution from tobacco smoke, radon and radon progeny, asbestos and other fibers, formaldehyde, indoor combustion, aeropathogens and allergens, consumer products, moisture, microwave radiation, ultraviolet radiation, odors, radioactivity, and dirt and discusses means of controlling or eliminating them.

The main objective of these updated global guidelines is to offer health-based air quality guideline levels, expressed as long-term or short-term concentrations for six key air pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. In addition, the guidelines provide interim targets to guide reduction efforts of these pollutants, as well as good practice statements for the management of certain types of PM (i.e., black carbon/elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, particles originating from sand and duststorms). These guidelines are not legally binding standards; however, they provide WHO Member States with an evidence-informed tool, which they can use to inform legislation and policy. Ultimately, the goal of these guidelines is to help reduce levels of air pollutants in order to decrease the enormous health burden resulting from the exposure to air pollution worldwide.

"This practical desk reference is structured to serve as a guide and information resource - both on treating existing indoor air problems effectively - and on prevention costly IAQ problems from occurring in the first place. Finding solutions to indoor air quality problems is often a complex, multifaceted, multidisciplined endeavor. A single discipline approach from the environmental engineer, the industrial hygienist, or the medical doctor, unfortunately tends to narrow both the control and the treatment options. This book cuts across these professions without being limited by the specificity and bias of any one discipline, to offer those concerned with the total facility a broader, more comprehensive approach to managing indoor air quality and mitigating indoor air quality problems. The third edition has undergone extensive updates and editing in response to the rapid pace of changes end advances in the IAQ industry - most notably the new chapter on building security and the increased emphasis on mold-related issues."--Jacket.