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FROM THE EDITOR: A MULTI-SENSOR PACKAGE CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR IAQ MONITORING.

Article Excerpt
Although there are presently no specific regulations governing indoor air pollutant emissions, as there are for outdoor air quality, it is vital to ensure a high level of indoor air quality. A key cause of indoor air pollutants is tight, energy-efficient buildings that trap air contaminants within the work space or living area. Occupants of "sick buildings" with inadequate air quality can be vulnerable to such maladies as allergic reactions, eye, nose, and throat irritation, or even dizziness, nausea, and in extreme cases, hypersensitivity various types of chemical compounds. Causes of the sick building syndrome can include airborne molds and fungus generated by overly damp conditions, high concentrations of carbon dioxide, residual solvent concentrations (out-gassing from carpet, particle board and composite materials) and low levels of carbon monoxide from combustion sources.

In addition to the trend toward constructing tight buildings, indoor air quality is impacted by other key factors, such as: industrial or commercial processes that release contaminants into the indoor environment; inadequate or defective emission control equipment; insufficient or malfunctioning building HVAC and filtration systems that can result in excessive levels of carbon dioxide or odors and gases, or the build-up of other indoor contaminants; the release of solvents (such as formaldehyde or toluene ) or other manufacturing chemicals from construction materials; outdoor sources of pollution (such as vehicle fumes from a loading dock) that can plague the indoor environment; and the presence of dust, mold, or fungus.

A report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, reviewed in an article in The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News (June 7, 2004)(www.achrnews.com), found a link between exposure to mold and damp conditions in homes and buildings and certain respiratory problems (e.g., asthma) in certain populations.

"An exhaustive review of the scientific literature made it clear to us that it can be very hard to tease apart the health effects of exposure to mold from all the other factors that may be influencing health in the typical indoor environment," stated committee chair Noreen Clark, Dean, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. "That said, we were able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions. Even though the available evidence does not link mold or other factors associated with building moisture to all the serious health problems that some attribute to them, excessive indoor dampness is a widespread problem that warrants action at the local, state, and national levels."

The committee reported that hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an uncommon ailment, also is associated with indoor mold exposure in genetically susceptible individuals, according to the aforementioned article. Damp conditions may be associated with the onset of asthma, as well as shortness of breath and lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children; however, the evidence is less certain in such circumstances. Although the evidence is not strong, the presence of visible mold indoors may be linked to lower...

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