What Is Indoor Air Quality?

IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) simply refers to the quality of air within and around buildings.  Indoor air pollution is the presence of one or more chemical or pollutants inside enclosed spaces that affect a person’s health and well-being and carries a certain degree of human health risk.  IAQ is a major health risk, especially for people with allergies and conditions such asthma.

Inadequate ventilation can increase pollutant levels by not circulating enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and carrying indoor air pollutants out of the building or structure. IAQ measures must, therefore, determine how well indoor air (a) satisfies thermal and respiratory requirements, (b) prevents unhealthy accumulation of pollutants, and (c) allows for a sense of well-being.

Sources of Air Pollution

There are many sources of indoor air pollution. These can include:

• Fuel-burning combustion appliances
• Tobacco products
• Building materials and furnishings as diverse as:
  – Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
  – Newly installed flooring, upholstery or carpet
  – Cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products
• Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies
• Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices
• Excess moisture
• Outdoor sources such as:
  – Radon
  – Pesticides
  – Outdoor air pollution.

Clean & Protect Your Air Quality Now

VENTS Australia leads the way in ventilation technology and are experts in clean air solutions. At VENTS we have invested countless years of research and development in delivering ventilation products and services that exceed the expectations of our customers. Our technicians clean and secure air on a daily basis to ensure families are safe from hazardous pollutants.

How Does Outdoor Air Enter a Building?

Via a process known as infiltration, air flows from outside of buildings through openings, crevices, and cracks in walls, floors and ceilings, and around windows and. In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Many indoor pollutants reach elevated concentrations compared with outdoor levels, because of their emission from multiple sources and the restrained ventilation conditions indoors (even if ventilation is acceptable to building codes). Thus, the occupants are exposed to much higher concentrations (and longer exposure times because we spend 90% of our time indoors) for such indoor air pollutants.