Modern Building Services

10 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2021 FEATURE INDOOR AIR QUALITY INDOOR AIR QUALITY A t a time when we are all spending more time indoors than ever before, being aware of indoor air quality and, more importantly, understanding how to achieve and maintain it, has perhaps never been so crucial. Even before 2020 and the months of lockdown, we spend on average 90 percent of our time indoors – with some, such as the elderly, spending even more. This is a shocking statistic and serves to demonstrate the importance of creating a clean and healthy indoor environment. There are numerous factors that contribute to the creation of this optimal internal environment, with perhaps the more obvious being the factors that you can physically see and/ or easily control, such as light, temperature and acoustics. But what about air quality? Indoor Air Quality Easily forgotten, the air we breathe on a daily basis can have a very real impact on our health and well-being, as well as affecting our experience of a space. Defined as the quality of air in and around a building, indoor air quality can be affected by numerous factors, with pollution from both interior and exterior sources able to disrupt the delicate balance. Sources of outdoor air pollution can include road traffic, industrial processes and construction and demolition sites, with particles able to enter into a building through natural or mechanical ventilation, as well as infiltrating through the building fabric. Indoor sources can include Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are given off by wall and floor coverings, furniture and appliances; dust, damp and mould; emissions from office equipment; and, of course, occupants themselves, who breathe out CO2 and can spread colds and viruses. The effects of poor indoor quality can be significant, worsening as the years of exposure increase. In fact, Public Health England estimates that air pollution is responsible for between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year in the UK, costing the NHS and private healthcare sector £20bn annually. Ranging from the mild to the extremely serious, air pollution can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory systems, the exacerbation of asthma and can even lead to chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In addition to the physical effects, there is also growing evidence of the impact poor indoor air quality can have on a person’s mental health, thought to be a factor in conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder, as well as having a detrimental effect on productivity levels. Given this, it is clear that indoor air quality should be a key consideration of building design, fromhomes and offices to hospitals and schools, with effective building ventilation at the core of achieving this. Martin Passingham , Product & Training Manager at Daikin UK, explores the subject of indoor air quality and how effective ventilation is the cornerstone of achieving an optimal indoor environment. Delivering indoor air quality Martin Passingham