What is Indoor Air Quality?
Air is vital to human life. So much so that while humans can live for 30 days without food and 3 days without water, they can only live for three minutes without breathing.
The cleaner the air we breathe, the healthier and more energetic we feel in the buildings we live and work in. It is of great importance that the necessary arrangements for air quality are provided in the designs of the buildings we live in.
Dust, mold and pollen are pollutants that rapidly reduce the quality of the air we breathe inside the building. The products we use every day contain chemicals that make it difficult and harmful for us to breathe.
The main chemicals that cause indoor air pollution are; cleaning and personal care products, office equipment such as printers and photocopiers, and furniture.
In the case of insufficient condensation, the polluting gases have a direct impact on our health. For example, the intense feeling of carbon monoxide gas can cause fatal effects.
What Factors Contribute to Indoor Air Quality?
Airborne pollutants are the most important factors that reduce indoor air quality. One of the first steps to prevent indoor air pollution is to reach the source of pollutants from primary and secondary sources and remove the root pollutants.
Another step is to choose healthier alternatives (natural products without chemicals) in the materials available in any living space.
However, avoiding chemicals may not always be economical or feasible. After measures are taken to solve the problem at its source, other factors to improve indoor air quality in all building types should also be considered.
Ventilation
Optimum airflow depends on the size of the room, the number of people present, and the type of activity, but requires an hourly and periodic air exchange. Automatic ventilation systems are the most effective method; but natural ventilation (especially with manual or automatic window opening) eliminates the need for initial costs and is a low-cost, health-beneficial application.
Manual ventilation also means that the people living in the building are not disconnected from the outside world, and it also has positive psychological effects.
For example; Hearing bird sounds can have very positive effects on an individual’s mental health. Of course, being able to benefit from natural ventilation also depends on the weather and climatic conditions of the area where the building is located.
For example; If a building is located on a high-traffic roadside, manual ventilation may not be the right solution. In extremely hot or cold weather, the use of mechanical ventilation comes to the fore. Therefore; hybrid ventilation is becoming more and more common.
Cleaning the Air
Filtering the incoming and outgoing air helps remove harmful particles. However, air filters should be maintained regularly so that ventilation itself does not become a source of air pollutants rather than a solution.
Effective Cleaning Materials
Modern building materials; It is specially developed to eliminate pollutants, harmful and volatile organic compounds from indoor air.
What are the Right Design Requirements for Indoor Air Quality?
Acceptable indoor air quality thresholds have been determined by studies.
However, in some cases even the relevant thresholds were found to be insufficient. Therefore, indoor air comfort becomes a very important element in the design and planning stages of any new building or renovation project.
Studies have shown that unsuitable air quality (and subsequent temperature rises) can reduce employee office performance by up to 10%.
Establishing a proper ventilation system with a good design and using the right construction materials; By increasing the supply of fresh air in the building, it reduces our exposure to indoor air pollution and bad odors and keeps us fit.
