An Office Building Occupant's Guide to Indoor Air Quality

This guide is intended to help people who work in office buildings learn about the factors that contribute to indoor air quality and comfort problems including the roles of building managers and occupants in maintaining a good indoor environment.

Why is Indoor Air Quality Important

Indoor air quality is a major concern to businesses, building managers, tenants, and employees because it can impact the health, comfort, well being, and productivity of building occupants.

Most Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors and many spend most of their working hours in an office environment. Studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others show that indoor environments sometimes can have levels of pollutants that are actually higher than levels found outside.

Pollutants in our indoor environment can increase the risk of illness. Several studies by EPA, states, and independent scientific panels have consistently ranked indoor air pollution as an important environmental health problem. While most buildings do not have severe indoor air quality problems, even well-run buildings can sometimes experience episodes of poor indoor air quality.

Factors that Contribute to Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is not a simple, easily defined concept like a desk or a leaky faucet. It is a constantly changing interaction of complex factors that affect the types, levels, and importance of pollutants in indoor environments. These factors include: sources of pollutants or odors; design, maintenance and operation of building ventilation systems; moisture and humidity; and occupant perceptions and susceptibilities. In addition, there are many other factors that affect comfort or perception of indoor air quality.

Factors that Affect Occupant Comfort and Productivity

Besides the factors that directly impact the levels of pollutants to which people are exposed, a number of environmental and personal factors can affect how people perceive air quality. Some of these factors affect both the levels of pollutants and perceptions of air quality.

• Odors
• Temperature -- too hot or cold
• Air velocity and movement -- too drafty or stuffy
• Heat or glare from sunlight
• Glare from ceiling lights, especially on monitor screens
• Furniture crowding

Read the Entire EPA Article.

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