Indoor Air Quality
Several factors can affect the indoor air quality of a building. Most often, unfavorable air quality is the result of mold and fungal growth, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning or maintenance procedures, air intake contamination from vehicles, maintenance operations (such as snow removal equipment) or from exhaust air being blown back in to the air intake, and lack of adequate air exchanges. These are just a few of the more common complaints. The fact is that IAQ problems are hard to track down due to the variety of potential sources and the inconsistencies of when the problem occurs on a day to day basis.
How EHS&RM can help
The office of Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management (EHS&RM) has several
different types of instruments to help monitor your building’s indoor
air quality. Our instruments can measure or sample for:
If you are experiencing discomfort from the air quality in your building contact EHS&RM at 474-5413 and we'll conduct an evaluation, collect samples if necessary, and make recommendations based on the results.
Before you call…
To save yourself some time and perhaps some frustration, there are some things
you can do to investigate poor IAQ conditions in your office. Here are a few
suggestions…
Winter Indoor Air Quality
Winters are synonymous with dry, uncomfortable conditions, and Fairbanks is no exception. Actually, Fairbanks is at a greater disadvantage due to its geographical location. Located in a “bowl”, strong inversions occur in the winter which creates a lid effect over Fairbanks that traps carbon monoxide (CO) and other toxins.
Vehicle Exhaust
Vehicle exhaust problems, such as exhaust entering the fresh air intake, are directly related to these inversions. Some simple things you can do to reduce your building’s fresh air intake from being contaminated are:
These tips will help improve the IAQ but it will not solve the problem completely. Stuffy or stale air can still be expected especially during times when several vehicles are arriving / departing at the same time such as lunch and at the end of the day. If you are not sure where the fresh air intake(s) is (are) located for your building, call EHS&RM at 474-5413.
Low Humidity Discomfort
Relative humidity is the term given to the ability of air to hold water vapor (gas). The ability of air to hold water decreases as the temperature is lowered, hence outside air has less humidity in the winter than it does in the summer. Because of this, some people like to bring humidifiers into their work spaces. This practice, however, is discouraged. The negatives of humidification are worse than the trade off for comfort. Excess moisture can cause the growth of biological organisms, including dust mites and fungi. Dust mites are microscopic animals that cause allergic reactions. The fungi can produce allergic reactions or may be toxic. Adding moisture to the air only makes it a better environment for fungi, bacteria, and dust mites.
IAQ Links
NIOSH/EPA
Document: Building Air Quality, A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers
EPA,
An Office Building Occupant’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality
Vermont
Department of Health Website, An Air Quality Fact Sheet on VOCs
Heating/Piping/Air
Conditioning Engineering, Indoor Mold Growth
Page last update on 8/1/07 by A.Chism