July 15, 2019
As blogged on The Weather Network, we often talk about healthy living and quality of life but have you considered the quality of the air you breathe? Most of us spend up to 90% of our time indoors, according to many surveys. Add up the time you spend at home, in the office and on transport, and you will see how close this figure is for yourself.
The study of indoor air quality did not achieve any public prominence until the 1970s. This was brought on by the “Oil Shock” that rapidly pushed energy prices to unprecedented highs. The response from building managers in the United States and elsewhere was to reduce the fresh air entering a building and recirculate as much as possible to retain heat in winter and keep out heat in summer.
These changes were made with minimal understanding of the effects on indoor air quality. Suddenly a new phenomenon emerged, “sick building syndrome”.
The first indicator was that high levels of carbon dioxide (the most common of the bio-effluents) emitted by the occupants invoked a physiological response that made the air feel “hot and stuffy”.
The second was a build-up of moisture, leading to condensation, particularly where that condensation occurred within wall cavities. This allowed mould to flourish unseen and undetected, until it made its presence felt by outbreaks of eye, nose, throat and skin irritations and eventually the smell from the emitted chemicals.
