Indoor Air Quality Defined and Steps Giving to Improve Your Indoor Air

1. Indoor Air Quality
Why is it Important?

2. What is Indoor Air Quality?
• The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) defines indoor air pollution as
chemical, physical or biological
contaminants in the breathable air inside a
habitable structure or conveyance, such
as in homes, schools, offices, and
vehicles.

3. What are the Experts
Saying?
• "It is hard to come up with another problem that
affects more people than indoor pollution."
— Yale School of Medicine
• "Americans spend approximately 90% of their time
indoors. Now the leading chronic illness among
children, asthma affects one in ten children."
—The American Lung Association
• "Indoor air pollution is one of our biggest
environmental health threats... bigger than toxic
wastes sites and the destruction of the ozone
layer."
—Environmental Protection Agency

4. Does this Effect Me?
• The EPA and its Science Advisory Board
have consistently ranked indoor air pollution
among the top five environmental risks to
public health.
• The average American breathes 3,400
gallons of air each day, making ambient air
pollution a major environmental problem.
• Over 90% of the total operating cost of
commercial office buildings is attributed to the
cost of employee salaries.

5. Can Better IAQ Make a
Difference?
• For initial ventilation rates between 14 and 30
cfm per person, the average performance
increases by approximately 0.8% per 10
cfm per person increase in ventilation rate
• Increases of 5% to 10% in aspects of
student performance may be associated
with doubling the ventilation rate when
rates are at or below minimum ventilation
standards (15 cfm per student).

6. Can Better IAQ Make a
Difference?
• In offices, a 35% decrease in short term
absence was associated with a doubling of
ventilation rate from 25 to 50 cfm per
person.
• In an elementary grade classroom study, on
average, for each 100 ppm decrease in the
difference between indoor and outdoor
CO2 concentrations there was a 1% to 2%
relative decrease in the absence rate.

7. What Effects Indoor Air
Quality?
• Moisture and Mold
• Pollutant Sources
• Amount of Ventilation
• Source Control
• Ineffective HVAC Systems

8. What Can be Done?
• Avoid Smoking Indoors
• Avoid Idling Vehicles
• Use Low-emission Alternatives
• Increase Ventilation Rate
• Maintenance is the Key

9. How can an HVAC System
Effect IAQ?
• Closed outdoor vents or dampers that
do not allow for adequate fresh air
intake
• Obstructed outdoor screens on the
fresh air intakes
• Filters that have not been changed on a
regular basis
• Moisture in drip pans and ductwork
• Poor outside air quality

10. Is there Money in IAQ?
Findings are showing that improvement in IAQ can:
• Reduce Sick Building Syndrome symptoms by
20 to 50 percent, with estimated savings of
$10 to $100 billion
• Reduce asthma by 8 to 25 percent, with estimated
savings of $1 to $4 billion
• Reduce other respiratory illnesses by 23 to 76
percent, with estimated savings of $6 to $14 billion
• Improve office worker productivity by 0.5 to 5
percent, with estimated savings of $20 to $200
billion

11. QUESTIONS???

12. Servpro of Great Neck /
Port Washington
For Further Information
Please Contact Us:
516-767-9600
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