What is Indoor Air Quality..... Indoor air quality is an important topic for individuals today. With so many harmful chemicals available and hazardous pollutants in the air, it can be difficult to ensure that the air you breathe in your home or office is safe.

Generally, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed to provide air at comfortable temperature and humidity levels, free of harmful concentrations of air pollutants. While heating and air-conditioning are relatively straightforward operations, the more complex processes involved in ventilation are the most important in determining the quality of our indoor air.

Ventilation involves the supply and removal of air from inside a building—bringing in outdoor air, conditioning and mixing the air with indoor air, distributing the air and exhausting a portion of the air outside. The quality of indoor air may deteriorate when one of these processes is inadequate. Indoor air pollution is caused by an accumulation of contaminants that may include tobacco smoke, biological organisms, building materials and furnishings, cleaning agents, copy machines and pesticides.

Harmful pollutants can contribute to illnesses, and HVAC systems that are improperly operated or maintained can contribute to sick building syndrome. The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 30 percent of new or remodeled buildings may have unusually high rates of sick building complaints. Control of pollutants at the source is the most effective strategy for maintaining clean indoor air. In the past, most buildings had windows that opened, and indoor-outdoor air pressure differences provided ventilation by movement of air through leaks in the building shell.

Today, many buildings are constructed without operable windows, and mechanical ventilation systems are used to exchange indoor air with a supply of relatively cleaner outdoor air. Buildings with high ventilation rates may suffer indoor air problems due to an uneven distribution of air, or insufficient exhaust ventilation. Even in a well-ventilated building there may be strong pollutant sources which impair indoor air quality. The closer a source is to an exhaust however, the more effective the ventilation.

To ensure indoor air quality, it’s important to:

    * Properly operate and service the HVAC system—change filters regularly and ensure operating coals are free of dirt. • Keep records of problems and maintenance and inspection activities.
    * Control pollution in the building—do not allow cigarette smoking, use only natural cleansing agents, mandate only low or no VOC paints may be used, etc.
    * Ensure obstructions to air flow are eliminated.
    * Examine your HVAC’s efficiencies against your overall energy conservation to ensure air flow is maximized during times of need and timed to be intermittent when the building is empty.