Improve Indoor Air Quality

In our society, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of air quality in indoor environments. Unhealthy indoor air has numerous negative consequences for people's health. There are many symptoms and ailments that workers may suffer from breathing harmful air. Additionally, it has been shown that low-quality indoor air leads to discomfort that undermines productivity and attention, thus harming both employer and employee.

It should be noted that closed work environments that only have air conditioning systems to acclimatize the spaces are continuously exposed to contaminating substances.

Pollutants in Closed Environments

We can classify air pollutants into two broad groups: chemical pollutants and biological pollutants.

Chemical Pollutants

There are different chemical pollutants in the air depending on their source: from combustion products, construction materials, consumer products, or other sources.

From Combustion Products

• Carbon Dioxide. In non-industrial settings, the main source comes from people's respiration and tobacco smoke. If there are high concentrations of CO2, a lack of oxygen occurs.

• Carbon Monoxide. In closed environments, its appearance is due to the engines of the building's garages, inadequate entrances of clean air from outside, and tobacco smoke. High concentrations can result in an inability to supply oxygen to tissues.

• Tobacco Smoke. It is estimated that tobacco smoke contains more than 3000 pollutants that affect both active and passive smokers.

From Construction Materials

Pollutants are found in insulating materials, whether in the general insulation of the building or the insulation that incorporates air conditioning systems. Types:

• Fibers

• Volatile Organic Compounds: formaldehyde and solvents

From Consumer Products

Pollutants can originate from elements linked to construction (paints, varnishes, etc.) or used by users (cleaning products, pesticides, etc.)

Other Sources

Other pollutants that we can find in closed work environments include radon, ozone (O3), or lead.

Biological Pollutants

Contaminating microorganisms can be classified into three groups:

• Infectious agents: legionella, pathogenic fungi, etc.

• Antigens

• Toxins

Comfort and Ventilation

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), more than half of the ailments that workers suffer are due to inadequate and insufficient ventilation that does not guarantee the expulsion of contaminated indoor air or the supply of fresh air free of impurities from outside. On the other hand, an uncontrolled ventilation system (natural ventilation), while it may temporarily supply the necessary flow for air renewal, can cause discomfort in workers due to high air drafts.

Ventilation: The Best Ally to Prevent Indoor Air Pollution

As we have seen, sources of pollution are diverse. Inadequate ventilation is the breeding ground for the accumulation and proliferation of pollutant substances in the air. This can be due to different reasons:

• Insufficient air renewal due to high air recirculation resulting from excessive use of ventilation systems or poor supply air flow.

• Inadequate distribution of air intakes and exhausts.

• Improper design and sizing of the system.

• Poor maintenance of the installation.

• The existence of uncontrolled ventilation systems that depend on the temperature and humidity of the outside air. At this point, it should be noted that a good controlled mechanical double flow ventilation system can control the volume of extracted and supplied air and adapt the latter to recommended humidity parameters, regardless of the outside air humidity level.

Advice from specialized technicians in ventilation systems will ensure that the indoor air in your workplace is air that does not endanger the health of its occupants.