Indoor air quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is emerging as a serious office health concern and it needs to be addressed with some level of urgency. Indoor air quality ought to be at its best so as to maximize the productivity of people (Hollowell, 2010).

There are main complaints as far as the quality of indoor air is concerned. The most common of these complaints are the air temperature, humidity, stuffiness, odors associated with inadequate air circulation and physical effects such as dry eyes and headaches. These complaints are due to poor indoor air quality of people working or living in different places. The poor quality of air in any place could be compromised if the place is packed with too many things for its size. This could result in crowding and therefore reduced ability of cleaners to clean the nooks and crannies. Other underlying factors that could make the quality of the Indoor air poor could include the temperature of the place, the humidity and the number of openings (windows) in the place.

Also, the availability of air conditioners could also dictate whether or not the IAQ is up to standard. Sampling and testing of the IAQ could make use of simple equipment and techniques as well as more sophisticated ones (Hollowell, 2010). The air temperature may be measured with the use of a common thermometer. Air humidity could be measured using the hygrometer, while the speed of air flow could be determined by the use of an anemometer. The things whose levels may be more difficult to measure are gas levels and dust. In order to sample some air for the measurement of gas levels, gas sampler pumps and detector tubes could come in handy.

To measure the amount of dust in the air, a sample of the air could be presented to the lab where a device called a cascade impactor would be used to determine the levels of dust (Burroughs & Hansen, 2004). Therefore, IAQ can be monitored, measured and, most importantly, improved upon according to the needs of the occupants of the place. This would use common instruments.