Humans breathe more than 15,000 litres (15 m3) of air every single day, consuming approximately four times more air than food and liquid together[1]. Health effects associated with exposure to indoor air pollutants can be short- and long-term and can range in severity and in the most recent global burden of disease study, household air pollution was rated as the third most important cause of ill health for the world’s population[2]. Sources of indoor air quality concern are illustrated on the following image, where inadequate ventilation alone represents more than 50% of the causes[3].
These are only some concepts to explain how indoor air quality (IAQ) has become such a crucial topic recently, with an importance hugely amplified from the terrible impact of the COVID-19 pandemics. More in general, IAQ is a key aspect of the general indoor environmental quality (IEQ) conversation of the latest years which brought to our attention its impact not only on human health and wellbeing. There is a 90-90 rule that we might describe as follows.
First, we typically spend 90% of our time indoors, in the enclosed spaces where we live, work, learn, sleep, including your car when you commute! Secondly, if we consider a typical organisation in a building (a company, public or private, a community, a school class, health workers and patients in a hospital, etc.) how these indoor environments are designed, built, and maintained, directly impacts on its staff costs, which typically represent 90% of the total organisation costs (including space rents, operations, and energy). In other terms, it’s not only a matter of health and well-being, but also of productivity, thus profit, learning capacity, recovery time, and last but definitely not least, happiness.
To sum up, indoor air quality matters.
Based on our experience and education, here are the services around indoor air quality that we are available to offer:
- Research & innovation management and consulting, including EU, national and local funding programs (IPMA® certified Project Manager).
- Technology scouting for research centres, product development and optimization.
- Consulting and process management on IAQ related sustainability standards (WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, LEED ID+C, LFA) for owners and developers, general contractors, building products and furniture manufacturers.
- IAQ monitoring and project teams guidance pursuing the RESET Air certification.
- Organisations and business facilities assistance to address health, safety and well-being through the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management.
- Construction indoor air quality management according to LEED v4.1 credits for general contractors.
- Training on indoor air quality focused standards (WELL FacultyTM,USGBC Faculty) and related topics.
- Events organisation and moderation, including innovation programs.
- Working groups coordination and facilitation.
Interested in our IAQ services for your project, product, company? Contact and information here.
[1] McDowell J. Encyclopedia of Human Body Systems. Greenwood; 2011.
[2] Lim SS, Vos T, Flaxman AD, et al. A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet (London, England). 2012
[3] U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA Technical Manual – Section III: Chapter 2: Acute Health Effects of Major Indoor Air Contaminants. Washington, DC: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; 1999 [references from the WELL Building Standard]
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