Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Employers, building managers, and decision makers across all industries are preparing to reopen after extended closures or periods of reduced occupancy due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Applied Environmental’s team of industrial hygienists stays up to date on current research and guidance from CDC, OSHA, WHO, and numerous industry and professional organizations.

The quality of indoor air inside offices, schools, and other workplaces is important not only for workers’ comfort but also for their health. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Also, some specific diseases have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments. In addition, some exposures, such as asbestos and radon, do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer after many years. Many factors affect IAQ. These factors include poor ventilation (lack of outside air), problems controlling temperature, high or low humidity, recent remodeling, and other activities in or near a building that can affect the fresh air coming into the building. Sometimes, specific contaminants like dust from construction or renovation, mold, cleaning supplies, pesticides, or other airborne chemicals (including small amounts of chemicals released as a gas over time) may cause poor IAQ. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Applied Environmental currently manages ongoing proactive IAQ programs for facility management firms in over 70 million square feet of office and workspace. Our IAQ investigations include an evaluation of conditions on-site which may generate contaminants, the configurations and condition of ventilation systems, and existing controls. Applied Environmental performs IAQ surveys based upon procedures established by NIOSH, the AIHA, and current industry standards. Our investigations generally begin with a review and assessment of the IAQ complaint history. Sampling to evaluate employee exposures is conducted in accordance with NIOSH and OSHA protocols. An assessment of the collected data is made in accordance with the (non-regulator standard for IAQ developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard, “Ventilation for Acceptable Air Quality applicable NIOSH recommendations and OSHA standards, and current research in this area. Both direct read real time measuring instruments and laboratory analytical procedures are used in conducting the investigations. Parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, respirable particulate, organic vapors, carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) are measured and quantified by properly calibrated direct read instrumentation.