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Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Monitoring

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring should be of concern to everybody, as we spend most of our daily lives indoors, be it at work, home or within public or commercial buildings.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring should be of concern to everybody, as we spend most of our daily lives indoors, be it at work, home or within public or commercial buildings. Poor indoor air quality is a relatively common occurrence and exposure to contaminants at significant levels can have wide ranging short and long-term impacts on health and performance levels.

The World Health Organisation coined the phrase ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (SBS) in the 1980s which refers to a combination of ailments associated with an individual’s place of work or residence. They suggested up to 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS and most cases were found to be related to poor indoor air quality; often pinned down to a lack of adequate fresh air exchange and the build-up of carbon dioxide, amongst other pollutants.

Over the last few decades, there has been a continuous drive within Building Regulations and the construction industry to make new buildings more energy efficient and airtight, which often exacerbates the issue of inadequate fresh air exchange.

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    Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Guide

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      Contaminants may be introduced to a building via the external air supply or be generated from indoor activities, furnishings, building materials, air handling units etc. The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has recently published an IAQ guidance document titled ‘A beginner’s guide to indoor air quality’ – 2021. This document outlines that the following common indoor pollutants are of concern and should be monitored for;

      • Carbon Dioxide
      • Particulate Matter (PM)
      • Carbon Monoxide
      • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
      • Radon
      • Mould
      • Humidity
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      Indoor Air Quality FAQs

      Good indoor air quality (IAQ) may be defined as air with no known contaminants at harmful concentrations or at levels which cause discomfort to occupants. The general factors required for good IAQ are detailed below:

      • Provision of sufficient fresh air supply rates to dilute and remove pollutants;
      • Effective ventilation, i.e. providing ventilation where it is needed and in a form that will most efficiently remove pollutants;
      • Low external pollution concentrations;
      • Low pollutant emission rates from internal sources, including building materials and furnishings.

      There is a legal requirement to conduct appropriate air testing if your risk assessments carried out under The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations have identified that there are substances or activities occurring on site which pose specific health risks related to air quality. In such scenarios, specialised testing in accordance with HSE Workplace Exposure Limits may well be required.

      There is currently no specific legal requirement for routine monitoring of indoor air quality to be conducted in typical workplace environments (i.e. offices, schools, public buildings), however, The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations require under regulation 6, that building owners and managers ensure that enclosed workplaces are ventilated with fresh and purified air.

      In England & Wales, ventilation requirements for health are primarily covered by Part F of the Building Regulations. Minimum ventilation rates are specified for all common buildings including dwellings, offices, schools, public buildings etc. The Part F document is currently under review and is likely to include additional requirements for improved ventilation in response to the Covid pandemic issue, plus it will specify that carbon dioxide monitors will be required in rooms above a certain occupancy level.