On average, we take 12 to 20 breaths per minute. With each of these breaths, do you want to inhale clean and safe air? Or air rife with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), radon, and other harmful particles and gases?
Our need for a healthy environment makes air quality testing imperative. Since we spend a large proportion of our time in enclosed spaces, in our homes, workplaces and recreational spaces, indoor air quality testing is that much more important.
Indoor air quality testing in different enclosed spaces
VOCs, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, lead, asbestos, mould, ozone, and pet dander are common indoor air pollutants. However, the presence and concentration of these pollutants will vary based on the type of indoor environment we’re talking about.
Kitchens with stoves and rooms with fireplaces may be more susceptible to carbon monoxide and particulate matter pollution. Spaces that are cleaned with certain chemical products may have high concentrations of VOCs. Damp basements which don’t get used or cleaned much and have poor ventilation may develop mould problems. Similarly, printer rooms, newly constructed and upholstered office spaces, and bathrooms will all have distinct indoor air pollution concerns.
This goes to show that indoor air quality testing is not a one-size-fits-all process. Particularly, in the absence of legally binding indoor air quality testing standards, you will have to be judicious in deciding how to test indoor air quality at your home and your workplace.
Fortunately, there are some tried and tested options for you to take your indoor air quality testing into your own hands. From identifying perceptible signs to hiring professionals to installing high-quality monitors for continuous and comprehensive indoor air quality testing, we’ve outlined the ABCs of how to test indoor air quality.
Before indoor air quality testing: Identifying troubling signs and symptoms
You don’t always need to know the specific concentration of air pollutants to know that there is a problem. Sometimes, the pollutants leave you hints. Visual hints, olfactory signals, visceral ones, and health-related ones.
Smell. If you have a musty odour in parts of your house and it persists even after cleaning, you may be dealing with a mould infestation. Additionally, inadequate ventilation can also lead to persistent smells – food smells, pet smells or any other strange scents lingering in the air can be signs of pet dander, VOCs, or other air pollutants.
Humidity. By itself, humidity isn’t a problem. But it can contribute to mildew, rot, and mould growth. Humidity is also known to trap contaminants.
Sight. In addition to its smell, mildew and mould can be identified by visible signs, including black spots and water spots. It is also possible to detect tobacco smoke by discoloured walls behind frames or devices placed or hanging against walls. Excessive dust on surfaces is also an indication that your indoor air could use some cleaning.
Health. Sick Building Syndrome, in which people experience adverse health effects when they are in a polluted indoor environment, can be one of the first signs that you desperately need indoor air quality testing. The symptoms of inhaling polluted air can range from coughing, sneezing and watery eyes to dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue and cognitive impairment. If such symptoms recur often, you should probably look into how to test your indoor air quality so that you can remedy it.
Environmental drivers. Construction, renovation or painting work in your or your neighbour’s house, wildfires in nearby forests, and high density of traffic on highways nearby can all have detrimental effects on your outdoor and indoor air quality. When you identify these drivers of pollution, it’s time for indoor air quality testing in your home and/or office. It’s always better to test before you start seeing health or other issues crop up in the first place.
How to test indoor air quality
Hire a professional. Whether you have detected any of the above signs and symptoms or not, regular indoor air quality testing is a must. One way to do this is to hire a professional. Indoor air quality testing usually involves a professional visiting your home or office to collect samples for further lab analysis. The professional will likely use sophisticated portable equipment to perform the tests. When hiring such services, you should also have them include radon testing and mould testing. Such an assessment, which provides a picture of your air quality at that point in time, is called spot testing.
After testing, you can expect a detailed report about the air quality in your space. In the absence of uniform indoor air quality testing standards, they may also interpret the findings and recommend ways in which you can clean up your air. They may use standards set by ASHRAE, ISHRAE or green building codes like LEED to give you a picture of what a healthy indoor environment looks like and what you should aspire towards.
Continuous monitoring. We saved the best for last. Continuous indoor air quality testing involves using IAQ monitors to collect real-time air quality data 24×7. After all, what doesn’t get properly measured doesn’t get properly managed.
Continuous indoor air quality monitors like the Kaiterra Sensedge and Kaiterra Sensedge Mini use multiple sensors to track levels of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, carbon dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity. The display screen and associated dashboard help you to continuously monitor pollutant levels and analyse historical data to observe trends. Additionally, given the deadly nature of carbon monoxide, installing CO detectors on every floor of your office and home, especially in rooms that have stoves, fireplaces, or furnaces, is a non-negotiable. With strategically placed IAQ monitors across your home or office, you can get a holistic picture of air quality and take a data-driven approach to improving it.
Outdoor air is regularly monitored by national and regional authorities. Ideally, they also enforce certain rules and policy measures to control outdoor air pollution levels. When it comes to indoor air, however, the situation is quite different. Given differences in acceptable pollutant levels in different circumstances, there are no uniform global standards for indoor air quality. While conducting indoor air quality testing, professionals usually rely on guidelines outlined by industry bodies like ASHRAE and ISHRAE. If the building is vying for a green building certification, maybe the developer or building manager will refer to the standards expected by LEED and other such programmes. Regardless, the onus lies on citizens to maintain clean air indoors. In such a scenario, learning about indoor air quality testing – as you just have – is the best thing you can do to take your health into your own hands.
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