Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality: Essential Considerations

Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can impact the health of occupants. This can lead to eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; and allergic reactions. Long-term exposure can exacerbate respiratory problems and even contribute to heart disease and cancer.

Most pollutants that degrade IAQ come from construction and paint materials, furnishings, and cleaning products. Using low-emission building materials can help reduce these harmful pollutants.

Volatile Organic Compounds

VOCs are emitted into the air from many everyday products and building materials. They are found in solvents, perfumes, paints and some cleaning chemicals. They can also be a component of kerosene and wood stove emissions. VOC levels can build up in the home due to smoking, cleaning product use and painting as well as infiltration from the outdoors. High concentrations of indoor VOCs can result in ‘sick building syndrome’.

Outdoor VOCs are a significant contributor to ground-level ozone, which is a constituent of photochemical smog. The EPA regulates VOC emissions to prevent them from reacting with nitrogen oxides and sunlight to form ozone.

Several new construction products and materials emit VOCs, including insulation, paints, flooring and adhesives. It is important that architects specify products that are low in VOCs to achieve healthy buildings. Choosing accredited and certified products with the Declare Label, Cradle-to-Cradle, Global Green Tag and Product Lens certifications as well as BREEAM’s Hea 02 Indoor air quality credit can help minimise VOC levels.

Formaldehyde Emissions

During construction, the use of wood products gia da 0x4 containing formaldehyde-based resins can result in high levels of offgassing formaldehyde into indoor air. This can last several months, and can be exacerbated by high temperature and relative humidity conditions in homes or offices.

Formaldehyde is a carcinogen and is also known to cause respiratory irritation, eye irritation, bronchoconstriction, and asthma in some people. It can irritate the skin, nose, and throat as well. Formaldehyde is a precursor to other VOCs, and it can react with other chemicals in the air to form secondary pollutants such as acetone and trichloroethylene.

In homes, high levels of formaldehyde may be found in new or recently refurbished wooden and melamine furniture; wood products pressed with formaldehyde-based resins (such as plywood and medium-density fiberboard); insulating materials made with urea formaldehyde foam insulation; do-it-yourself projects such as painting or varnishing; and textiles. In addition to increasing ventilation, the use of lower-emitting pressed wood products labeled CARB or ULEF compliant or made with no-formaldehyde (NAF) resins can help reduce formaldehyde emissions.

Particulate Matter

Many new building materials, such as insulation and flooring, contain asbestos, which can release toxic fumes when disturbed. These fumes can contaminate indoor air and increase the risk of developing an allergic reaction in people. Exposure to particulate matter can also lead to respiratory and heart problems.

Diesel-powered construction equipment is another source of air pollution. This equipment produces a lot of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons that can impact indoor air quality.

In addition, it’s essential to use only low-emitting construction materials and to ensure that ventilation is working properly to keep contaminants out of indoor spaces. High levels of indoor pollutants can result in poor health outcomes, including increased hospital admissions and death from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This is especially true for certain populations, such as children, seniors and those with preexisting conditions. This is why it is so important to minimize exposure by ensuring proper ventilation and separating work areas from occupied areas during renovations.

Mold Growth

Molds are fungi designed to break down biodegradable materials in the world around us, and then produce spores that consume more material as they spread. This never-ending cycle is a major cause of environmental pollution, especially in the form of mycotoxins produced by some species of molds, which are known to have more serious health effects.

Mold spores are present in almost all air, as well as in the soil and wood used for construction. The key requirements for mold growth are a source of nutrients, water and oxygen. Most building materials and furnishings provide suitable nutrients, while dirt on surfaces provides an additional source of water.

Exposure to airborne mold spores can cause respiratory irritation, and some individuals may experience more severe symptoms like headaches and fatigue. The use of low-emitting construction materials and proper ventilation design can minimize the impact of microbial pollution during and after a construction project, and improve overall indoor air quality.