Janet A Harden, Interior Design and Terina Owen, Architecture
Did you know
pewter used to make many cups, mugs and dinnerware in the 18th
and 19th century has a high concentration of lead. Even today,
you can purchase pewter pieces for you dining table. White lead was
also used by women in the 18th and 19th century to
give them a fair (white) complexion. Both applications caused lead poisoning.
Ignorance is NOT bliss. Indoor air quality is
important to your health. Your understanding and action can begin
to improved your home and work environments. The average person spends
approximately ninety percent of their time indoors and because of
this, good indoor air quality is essential to good health. Sick buildings
can occur anywhere - are you sure that the buildings you live and work
in are healthy and safe? Contributions to sick buildings are many
and varied. These variances range from the materials used in and on the
buildings, to the ventilation systems and the inhabitants themselves.
There are solutions to solve many of these air quality concerns which this
set of reports will address.
Indicators, Strategies and Benefits
The following indicators (I’s in bold and underline) measure progress towards achieving sustainable indoor air quality. The strategies (S's in bold) are recommended action to improve each indicator. The I’s and S’s are followed by a brief statement of the social, environmental and/or economic benefits for each set of improvements.
I.1. Eliminating outdoor air pollution inside the home or office.
S.1.a. Improve filtration of the air being brought in from outside.
S.1.b. Increased ventilation quality by bringing air in from the
best possible exterior location.
Better health, enjoyment,
increased productivity, and performance will be the direct result of cleaner
indoor air.
I.2. Improve health by carefully storing substances used inside
the home and work environments.
S.2.a. Reduce and isolate all chemicals from the living environment.
S.2.b. Store chemicals that are used in or around the home or office
in a well-ventilated space.
S.2.c. Carefully review the use of chemicals and remove those that
are toxic and not necessary.
Lowering the exposure to
all chemicals can reduce the incidents of chemical sensitivity related
problems.
I.3. Select building materials that have no toxic chemical impacts
on the quality of indoor air.
S.3. Use alternative materials that do not produce or have significantly
reduced incidents of off gassing.
Designing for better
air quality within our buildings can increase user enjoyment, preformance,
and productivity as well as significant monetary resources.
* For further explanation of the above "click" on the report: INDOOR AIR QUALITY CONCERNS ALL by Janet A. Harden
I.4. Use better ventilation systems.
S.4.a. Design for natural ventilation.
S.4.b. When mechanical ventilation is required, carefully place
air intake(s) in areas where there is the highest level of exterior air
quality (especially away from auto circulation, parking and service areas)
S.4.c. Use higher levels of ventilation (and heat exchanger) in
mechanical systems.
S.4.d. Use efficient mechanical systems.
Benefits to using better
and more appropriate ventilation systems are that the workplace has greater
productivity and enjoyment, a lower number of sickness related absences,
and the building itself will help delute any indoor air pollution.
I.5. Use high quality filtration systems for each specific situation
S.5.a. Use higher exchange rates per hour in mechanical systems
S.5.b. Supply quality filters for situations requiring specific
ventilation
Higher exchange rates in
a mechanical system of the building create a healthier work environment,
thereby increasing productivity and improving health.
1.6. Maintain ventilation systems to promote better health
and efficiency.
S.6.a. Correctly install and maintain filters
S.6.b. Properly maintained systems
Correctly installed and
properly maintained systems have less expensive maintenance cost in the
life cycle of the building and less emission of airborne viruses and spores
into the indoor air of the building.
* For further explanation of the above "click" on the report: THE AIR WE BREATHE by Terina Owen
Thank you for visiting our web page. We appreciate your interest in indoor air quality. We hope the ideas have provided you with some helpful information and ideas on how you can improve your indoor air quality.