With the ongoing pandemic, there has been an increased focus on achieving indoor air hygiene, especially in high occupancy buildings. Facility managers should aim for the highest air quality standards, with priorities given to human health and productivity as opposed to focusing solely on reducing energy usage.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends three strategies to improve indoor air quality:
- Source Control. Adjusting or reducing the emissions of pollution sources can be a more cost-efficient approach to increased ventilation.
- Improved Ventilation. Ventilation that brings clean outdoor air into the home through an HVAC system can help improve indoor air quality by reducing indoor air contaminants.
- Air Cleaners. While they cannot remove all pollutants from the air, portable air cleaners, such as air purifiers and air sanitizers, and furnace and HVAC filters, can help improve indoor air quality.
The primary goal of indoor air quality should be an environment conducive to health, mental focus, and productivity. Five best practices of indoor air hygiene, according to FacilitiesNet, include measuring and managing 1) heat, 2) humidity, 3) carbon dioxide, 4) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and 5) particulates matter. It is important to monitor these parameters in indoor air assessments because of their impact and to mitigate their effects on human health.
For more information about assessing indoor air quality, email us at info@vanguardresources.com or call Vanguard Resources at 1-800-211-8848.
*Information from this article was found from https://www.facilitiesnet.com/iaq/article/5-Core-Elements-of-Good-Indoor-Air-Hygiene–19337 and https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality
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