Modern Building Services

20 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES JULY 2022 FEATURE INDOOR AIR QUALITY T o date, less attention has been given to the quality of indoor air in comparison to outdoor air and pollution. According to SAGE member, Professor Cath Noakes, an estimated 15% of all Covid-19 deaths can be attributed to poor air quality, meaning attention is rightly turning to indoor air as well – and ventilation is now one of the biggest challenges facing building and facilities managers today. Outside of the transmission of airborne viruses like Covid-19, ventilation has also been linked to improved productivity, better sleep, and a reduction in respiratory health conditions. However, many buildings are still under-ventilated, despite long-standing regulatory requirements. This renewed focus on indoor air quality presents an important opportunity to tackle the issue head-on, and invest in long-term, sustainable solutions for achieving and maintaining good indoor air quality. To do so, the first step is to understand the levels of air quality, both inside and outside a building. Then, a clear plan for improvement can be put in place, as well as selecting the right technology in order to support ventilation and the provision of clean, healthy air going forwards. This byline outlines simple steps that anyone working with buildings can take to achieve and maintain good indoor air quality. 1. Understanding air quality levels The first step towards improving air quality and ventilation is to understand what the current air quality levels are, both inside and outside a building. This can help identify whether any improvements need to be made, and where. To do so, it will be helpful to invest in technology like air quality measurement equipment, which supports the collection, storage, and analysis of pollution both in and around a building. While hand-held devices, for example, are useful for tracking down the root source of any ongoing issues, for continuous monitoring it’s worth considering having monitors installed both in and around a building. Having a benchmark for comparison will also be important for assessingwhether improvements to air quality are required. For both commercial and residential spaces, this can be found in the latest Part F of the Building Regulations. Part F reflects the growing understanding of the impact of indoor air quality on occupant health. For commercial spaces, there are new standards for minimising the intake of external air pollutants if they exceed limits set out in the legislation – or if the building is located close to sources of pollution. This might include buildings close to busy roads or near combustion plants such as heating systems. For existing non-dwellings, Part F also states that any work carried out must not result in any degradation of the ventilation standards in the building. When building work in an existing building includes the ventilation system, it must meet the relevant standards outlined in the updated guidance in Part F 2021. 2. Conducting a building review Conducting a building review with an indoor air quality expert can help to better understand whether any system or design components are affecting the overall quality of air inside a building – and how to combat this going forwards. An effective approach can be to review different areas of a building as ‘zones’, as they will likely differ in use and type of occupancy. A school, for example, will include classrooms that may be occupied by more than 30 students and a teacher for most of the day, as well as an assembly hall or gym which is occupied by larger groups less frequently. In an office building, there will also likely be some open plan areas, along with meeting rooms, a staff kitchen, and an atrium. Taking the approach of splitting each area into zones will allow various issues affecting indoor air quality to be treated individually. For example, if new equipment is needed to improve indoor air quality, each area may benefit from different solutions – and it’s almost certain that each zone will require a unique approach to measurement and long-termmaintenance. Hern Yau , Product Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, discusses why attention is rightly turning to indoor air quality. Now is the time to get indoor air quality provision right