INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ)

BREATHE EASY – CLEAN INDOOR AIR MATTERS

Why indoor air quality is important? Any suspended airborne particles between 1 to 100 microns can land into lungs through the mouth or nose. Pollutants like pollen, hair, bacteria, windblown dust, fly-ash, fine sand, slit, smoke, tobacco smoke, soot, metallurgical fumes and gas floating in the air, be it of a corporate office, manufacturing unit, hospital or hotel can be hazardous for humans. The resultant ill effects of these pollutants include lethargy, dizziness, headache, tiredness, inefficiency, lack of concentration and poor productivity at workplaces. Most importantly, bad indoor air could lead to diseases that can turn fatal too. Below given the best methods to enhance indoor air quality for increased worker efficiency, health and safety.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ)

Impact on Productivity & Health

Studies indicate that persons in industrialized nations and mega cities spend 90% or more of their time indoors. The locations of highest concerns are those involving prolonged, continuing exposure – that is, home and workplace. Studies conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others show that indoor environments sometimes can have levels of pollutants that are actually higher than levels found outside and also have consistently ranked indoor air pollution as important health problem.

Indoor air quality is a major concern to businesses, building managers, tenants and employees because it can impact the health, comfort, well-being and productivity of building occupants.

“An EPA report to US congress estimates that poor indoor air may cost the nation tens of billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and medical care and an improved indoor air quality can result in higher productivity and fewer lost work days.”

Signs & Symptoms	Environmental Tobacco Smoke	Others Combustion Products	Biological Pollutants	Volatile Organics	Heavy Metals	Sick Bldg. Syndrome
Respiratory
Rhinitis, nasal congestion	q	q	q	q	q	q
Epistaxis				q
Pharyngitis, cough	q	q	q	q		q
Wheezing, worsening asthma	q	q		q		q
Dyspnea	q		q			q
Severe lung disease						q
Other
Conjunctival irritation	q	q	q	q		q
Headache or dizziness	q	q	q	q	q	q
Lethargy, Fatigue, Malaise		q	q	q	q	q
Nausea, vomiting, anorexia		q	q	q	q
Cognitive impairment, personality change		q		q	q	q
Rashes			q	q	q
Fever, Chills			q		q
Tachycardia		q			q
Retinal haemorrhage		q
Myalgia				q		q
Hearing loss				q

Management of pollutants sources, both inside and outside the building

Pollutants can be generated by outdoor sources or indoor sources, including industrial pollutions, construction, traffic, building maintenance activities, pest control, housekeeping, renovation or remodelling, new furnishings or finishes, and building occupant activities.

One important goal of an indoor air quality program is to minimize occupants’ exposure to pollutants from these sources. Some key pollutant categories include:

Biological Contaminants: Excessive concentrations of bacteria, viruses, fungi (including moulds), dust mite allergen, animal dander, and pollen may result from inadequate maintenance and housekeeping, water spills, inadequate humidity control, condensation, or may be brought into the building by occupants, infiltration, or ventilation air. Allergic responses to indoor biological pollutant exposures cause symptoms in allergic individuals and a key role in triggering asthma episodes for millions of asthma suffers.

The transmission of airborne infectious diseases is increased where there is poor indoor air quality. Evidence is increasing that inadequate or inappropriately designed ventilation systems in health care settings or other crowded conditions can increase the risk of exposure.

Chemical Pollutants: Sources of chemical pollutants include industrial and vehicular emissions, tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products used inside the building (e.g., office equipment; furniture, wall and floor coverings; and cleaning and consumer products) accidental spill of chemicals, and gasses such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are products of combustion. A study by EPA found indoor levels of VOCs ten times higher than outdoors – even in locations with significant outdoor air pollution sources, such as petrochemical plants.

Particles: Particles are solid or liquid substances which are light enough to be suspended in the air, the largest of which may be visible in sunbeams streaming into a room. However, smaller particles that you cannot see are likely to be more harmful to health. Particles of dust, dirt, or other substances may be drawn into the building from outside and can also be produced by activities that occur in buildings like sanding wood or drywalls, printing, copying, operating equipment, and smoking.

People can react differently when exposed to the same contaminants at similar concentrations. For example, some people can develop severe allergic reactions to biological contaminants to which other people will not react. Similarly, exposure to very low levels of chemicals may be irritating to some people but not others. For people with asthma and other pre-existing conditions, exposure to irritants like environmental tobacco smoke or certain gasses or particles from various indoor sources may cause more sever reactions than the same exposure would in others.

Solutions:

Maintaining good indoor air quality requires attention to the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system; the design and layout of the space; and the pollutant source management. Components of HVAC systems may also serve as reservoirs or sites of microbial amplification and distribution. Because of the HVAC system’s importance, good indoor air quality management includes attention to:

Ventilation System Design: When areas in a building are used differently than their original purpose, the HVAC system may require modification to accommodate these changes.

Outdoor Air Supply: Adequate supply of outside air is necessary in any office environment to dilute pollutants that are released by equipment, building materials, furnishings, products and people.

Out Air Quality: When present (as in the case of most cities), outdoor air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, pollen, and dust affect indoor conditions. Properly installed and maintained filters can trap many of the particles in this outdoor supply air. Controlling gaseous and chemical pollutants require more specialized filtration equipment.

Equipment Maintenance: Diligent maintenance of HVAC equipment is essential for the adequate delivery and quality of building air.

Controlling Other Pollutant Pathways: Pollutants can spread throughout a building by moving through stairwells, elevator shafts, wall spaces, and utility chases.

Indoor air quality is a shared responsibility –

Things which everyone in the Building can do:

1. Do not block air vents or grills
2. Comply with the office and building smoking policy
3. Clean up all water spills promptly, water and maintain office plants properly and report water leaks right away
4. Dispose-off garbage promptly and properly
5. Store food properly
6. Notify your building or facility manager immediately if you suspect and IAQ problem

What the Office Manager / Tenant can do:

1. Maintain a good working relationship with building management on indoor environmental issues
2. Place office furniture, partitions and equipment in conjunction with the air circulation directions, temperature control, and pollutant removal functions of the HVAC system
3. Coordinate with building management in instances where responsibility for design, operation, and maintenance of the HVAC system is shared
4. Establish an effective smoking policy
5. Avoid procedures and products that can cause problems
6. Integrate indoor air quality concerns into your purchasing decisions
7. Work with the building owner or manager to ensure use to only necessary and appropriate pest control practices, and non-chemical methods where possible
8. Work with building management and contractors before you conduct remodelling or renovation activities to identify ways of keeping pollutants to a minimum

What Building facility Managers Can Do To Promote Good Indoor Air Quality:

1. Designate an Indoor Quality Representative, who serves as the contact for indoor environment issues
2. Assess the current condition of the indoor air in the building
3. Address any existing and potential indoor air quality problems
4. Educate building staff about indoor air quality management
5. Manage potential pollutant sources
6. Communicate with tenants and occupants about their roles in maintaining good indoor air quality
7. Establish clear procedures for the responding to indoor air-related complaints
8. Keep a record of reported health complaints to aid identifying and solving air related problems

Indoor Air Quality – Now in your Control:

We breathe 23000 times a day, so it is of prime importance that we breathe PureAir.

Air Quality, both indoor and outdoor is the primary factor for acute respiratory infections. Globally, more that 1.5 million people die annually from respiratory infections which are attributable to the environment.

Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or build environment. The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth. Air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth’s ecosystems. According to Environmental Protection Agency indoor air pollution can be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. A recent report by World Health Organization (WHO) asserts the rule of 1000 which states that a pollutant released indoors is 1000 times more likely to reach people’s lung than a pollutant released outdoors. Nearly 28% of all deaths due to Indoor Air Pollution in developing countries occur in India only.

Important facts about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ):

• People spend 75-90% of their time indoors
• 50% of all major office building have contaminated heating, ventilation and Air-conditioning. If not properly maintained, they turn a hotbed for growth of moulds and bacteria
• Children inhale more particles for their size than adolescents or adults
• Polluted Air causes 94% of all respiratory problems
• More than 300 million people have been diagnosed with asthma, about 1/3 are children under 18
• About 40,000 dust mites, a common allergen can live in one ounce of dust
• An estimated 10-15% of the entire population may be allergic to cat or dog dander
• A person sheds up to 700,000 skin flakes per day

The quality of indoor air inside offices, schools and other workplaces is important not only for workers’ comfort but also for their health. Poor IAQ has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose throat and lungs, commonly known as ‘Sick Building Syndrome’. IAQ has rapidly become a buzz word for the HVAC Industry. Most people associate indoor air quality with air filtration, which is designed to remove airborne particles. The problem is that standard air filters have little or no effect on microbial (viruses, bacteria & mould) and gases (VOC’s & Odour) which are the primary source of health related air contaminants.

There are numerous solutions available for the same; a snapshot of effectiveness of each of these technologies on Indoor Air Pollutants is given in the chart below:

	Hepa filter	Foam / Fiber filter	Carbon media filter	Negative ion generator	Ozone	UV Light	Photohydroionization PHI+REME
Small Particulate
Med Particulate
Large Particulate
Microbes
Fungi
Mould
Gases
Odours
Conditioned Space
	Effective
	Not Effective

As it can be easily ascertained from the chart, when considering only Microbial and Gases, no other solution is as effective as the Photohydroionization (PHI) technology. In independent laboratory tests, the PHI Technology has shown inactivation rates of over 90% in a matter of hours for the most common and deadly bacteria, viruses and moulds.

Photohydroionization (PHI) is an advanced oxidation technology patented by RGF utilizing broad spectrum HE/UV light targeted on a quad metallic target that produces nature friendly oxidizers: Hydro-Peroxides, Hydroxides, and Superoxide Ions that reduce microbes and gases in the conditioned space. These are friendly oxidizers as they return to oxygen and hydrogen after oxidizing / destroying the pathogens.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), till date has only been discussed in relation to Operation theatres, Intensive Care Units, occupied buildings and so on. Did you know 97% of the of toilet seats harbour micrococacceae, which can cause skin reactions; 39% are contaminated with streptococcaceae – the leading cause of epidemic sore throat – and bronchial pneumonia; 22% harbour pseudomonadeceae, which can lead to urinary tract infections and blooding poisoning; 81% can infect visitors with coryneform, which can cause diphtheria and hepatitis; and serious viral infections can be transmitted by a drop of urine on a toilet that has been present for up 45 minutes.

Hydroperoxides is an oxidizing agent having properties of Virucidal, Germicidal, Antiseptic, and Disinfecting & Deodorizing. PHI technology is used in washrooms with heavy traffic to remove odours completely (changing the molecular structure of odours) along with eliminating microbial (killing it by a process of cell lysing). Its advanced oxidizers – called hydro peroxides, spread to various places killing the infection (bacteria, viruses, fungus, mould) in the air as well as on surfaces (infection in air and on seats, handles, taps, basin etc.). Life threating communicable infections like SARS & H1N1 (swine flu) is picked up by people from common areas and surfaces. PHI technology is a tested technology that kills H1N1 virus on surfaces as well as prevents the spread of the same.

Reflective Electro Magnetic Energy (REME) Cell patented by RGF creates and Advanced Oxidation process i.e., charging the Hydro-Peroxides commonly known as Ionized Hydro-Peroxides for continuous removal of Particulates (Dust, Dander & Pollen) equal to 0.3 micron with the existing standard media filters. The standard filter efficiency increases by 73% thereby enhancing the life of fine filters. The REME also destroys the microbial and gases in the same manner as the PHI.

It is normal reaction of question the long term safety of any product that is effective and uses new or ‘breakthrough’ technology. The breakthrough in the RGF Advanced oxidation technologies is a group of oxidants known as Hydro-Peroxides. Hydro-Peroxides have been a common part of our environment for over 3.5 billion years. Hydro-peroxides are created whenever three components are present: Oxygen molecules, water vapour and energy. Photohydroionization technology recreates the same environment indoors. Advanced Oxidation products have been successfully used worldwide without a safety problem.

The PHI and REME cells are safe for both human beings and animals as well for the environment. The PHI process has been approved by the USDA-FDA-FSIS for food processing. The process produces advanced oxidation Plasma levels of 0.02 ppm which is well below the levels detectable levels in outside atmosphere.

PHI & REME are known to reduce or eliminate elements like:

Airborne viruses, bacteria or yeast; smoke; spores, fungus, mould; dust, dander & pollen; hydrocarbons; VOCs; Ozone depleting substances; exhaust fumes/paints and odours. The technology is also fast and efficient.

Many air purifiers only purify the air that passes through the device. These results in a large percentage of the room left untreated and unprotected. PHI Cell not only treats the air that passes through the device, but it also sends the friendly-oxidizers into the entire room for complete coverage. The technology is also safe, reliable and cost effective.

Advanced Oxidation Process is based on nature’s natural air purifying process. The laboratory tests show inactivation rate of most virus at 99+%. While traditional air purifiers often require frequent media change and regular maintenance this is a zero maintenance product.

PureAir^TM PHI system is small, compact, lightweight, easy to install and requires no modification to existing HVAC systems. It also does not require regular cleaning or maintenance.

PHI / REME Applications

The PHI and REME Technology can widely be used in the following applications:

• Airports
• Medical Facility, Doctor Offices
• Veterinary Hospitals
• Pharma & Bio Tech Companies
• Hotels / Resorts
• Bars / Restaurants
• Residence / Luxury Villas
• Fruit & Vegetable Packing & storage
• Food processing plant
• Refrigerated trucks / vehicles
• Storage facilities
• Office buildings
• Military tents
• Offshore rigs – living quarters
• Cruise lines / ships
• Barns