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What causes poor Indoor Air Quality?
Over the past two decades, exposure to indoor air pollutants has increased. This is the result of a number of factors, such as the construction of tightly sealed buildings, an increase in office electrical equipment such as PCs and printers and the use of synthetic building materials and furnishings.
System maintenance
Concurrently, air-conditioning and cooling (HVAC) systems are commonly not sufficiently serviced and maintained to minimise the introduction and re-circulation of pollutants. Poorly maintained systems may result in the following:
Build up of contaminants on cooling and heating coils
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Build up of dirt and/or moisture that leads to microbial growth that is then circulated
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Dirty filters and air ducts
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Deterioration of the actual HVAC system components that are then circulated
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Circulating microbial contaminants through the HVAC system
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Inadequate supply of fresh air
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Build up of carbon dioxide
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An inability to dilute pollutants that are released by office equipment, building materials, furnishings, products and people
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Poorly filtered outdoor air that allows outdoor air pollutants to be introduced into the HVAC system, such as Carbon Monoxide, pollen and dust
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Design
The design and operation of the HVAC system is important for effective functioning and the quality of the air that it circulates. The following issues may be the source of Indoor Air Quality problems:
Areas of the building are used differently than their orginal purpose and design
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Computers or other electrical equipment placed under an HVAC control devices can cause over delivery of cool air or the circulation of pollutants through the system
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Furniture or partitions can block supply or return registers thus inhibiting air flow
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Over-crowding in offices that causes a build up of carbon dioxide
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Poor exhausting around electrical equipment causes distribution of dust and other volatile organic compounds
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