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General IAQ
Mold and Allergen Problems in Homes and Buildings
Chemical Problems in Homes and Buildings
Basic Facts about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

General IAQ

How does indoor air compare to outdoor air?
What are the general types of indoor air pollutants?
What are the sources of indoor air pollution?
Why is there so much concern about indoor air quality?
How do I know if the IAQ in my home is good?
Can I test the IAQ in my home or building?
Is duct cleaning useful?
When should air ducts be cleaned?
Are green products available?
Where can I get more information?

  1. How does indoor air compare to outdoor air?

  • Indoor air can be as much as 100 times more polluted than outside air. These pollutants pose serious environmental exposures to people.

  • Studies by the EPA and other researchers have found that VOCs are common in the indoor environment and that their levels may be ten to thousands of times higher indoors than found in the outdoor air. There may be anywhere from 50 up to hundreds of individual VOCs in an indoor air sample.

  1. What are the general types of indoor air pollutants?

  1. What are the sources of indoor air pollution?

  1. Why is there so much concern about indoor air quality?

  • Indoor air pollutants pose serious environmental exposures to people. Because Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, this has become a major concern.

  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that IAQ is one of the top five environmental health risks of our time and indoor air pollution is one of the greatest risks to human health.

  1. How do I know if the IAQ in my home is good?

  1. Can I test the IAQ in my home or building?

  1. Is duct cleaning useful?

  • The EPA has said that there is no proof that duct cleaning actually prevents health problems. That is because there are bigger sources of pollutants in the home than just dirty air ducts.

  1. When should air ducts be cleaned?

  • Before you think about having your ducts cleaned, make sure that dirty ducts are the cause of your indoor air problems. There are times that you should have your ducts cleaned. These are when:

    • You can see a lot of mold growing in the ducts or other parts of the ventilation system.

    • There is vermin, such as rodents or insects, infesting your air ducts.

    • The ducts are clogged with so much dirt and debris that it is being released into the home from your supply registers

    As you can see, if any of these conditions exists, there are much bigger problems present than just dirt in your ducts. The sources of these problems need to be taken care of first since this would indicate more than just a dirty air duct problem.

  1. Are green products available?

    Several companies     have started making "green" products as well as setting up "green" programs. A few are listed below:

  • The GREENGUARD Registry identifies specific products that have been tested for their chemical and particle emissions and found to be acceptable for the indoor environment.

  • The Carpet and Rug Institute established an IAQ labeling program to encourage manufacturers to lower and maintain chemical emissions from carpet and adhesives within very low ranges. Those products meeting the criteria are awarded the Green IAQ Label.

  • Visit the Green Room of the Sierra Club web site

  1. Where can I get more information?

    Click here for additional information.

Mold and Allergen Problems in Homes and Buildings

What are molds?
What makes mold grow?
Are there molds in every home?
What molds are typical?
What molds are harmful and how can you tell?
Is Stachybotrys still a problem after the CDC retraction?
How do I tell which molds are growing?
How can you test for mold in the home?
How can you fix mold problems?
What are the important indoor allergens?
How can I test for allergens?
How can I reduce allergens in my house?

  1. What are molds?

  • Mold and fungi are organisms with rigid cell walls but no chlorophyll, which grow wherever there is both water and a source of organic nutrition. Certain chemicals called mycotoxins that can produce VOCs such as acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol are produced by some molds and might be toxic to people and animals.

  1. What makes mold grow?

  • Molds will grow anywhere indoors where there is moisture and a food source. Many building materials provide this needed food source-many consist of cellulose materials that are particularly suitable for mold growth when they are wet. Mold and fungi generally need a relative humidity of at least 60% to give them enough moisture to survive or significant moisture intrusion, regardless of humidity.

  1. Are there molds in every home?

  • Molds are everywhere, in the surface layer of antarctic rocks, on Mediterranean marbles and old dirty car fenders, as well as in mattress and floor dust. We are normally exposed to molds everyday.

  • Most molds in indoor air come in with fresh outdoor air. The air inside most buildings has fewer molds than outdoor air. Indoor mold growth means indoor moisture problems (humidity, leaks, cold surfaces, spills or improper drying after wet cleaning)

  1. What molds are typical?

  • The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria.

  1. What molds are harmful and how can you tell?

  • Any molds that are growing in your house or office are harmful. It is, however, important to know what species of mold is growing. In general, moldy materials will contain many different molds. The only way to find out which molds are growing in your house or office is to have special testing conducted to know the exact concentration and type of mold.

  • There are several ways that mold can cause health effects: allergies, nonspecific inflammation, toxins, infections; some of these are poorly understood.

  1. Is Stachybotrys still a problem after the CDC retraction?

  • The 2000 CDC report was not a retraction, but more appropriately, a clarification of issues from earlier publications. Stachybotrys is a very toxic mold. Exposure that leads to a potentially toxic dose should be avoided. What is that exposure? Stay tuned, we do not know yet. Prudence would seem to dictate that you want to be careful with Stachy, treat it like any toxic substance: keep it contained (don't let it grow in the first place), if it spills clean it up (remediate any mold growth), and use appropriate worker protection (determine the level of protection according to ACGIH and/or NYC guidelines).

  1. How do I tell which molds are growing?

  • Either through direct evidence (visual and/or microscopic exam), or by looking for indirect evidence from cultural results or air sampling.

  1. How can you test for mold in the home?

  • There are many (at least 6) ways to test for mold; no single way works for all cases, each way has a limitation. If there is mold growth in a building, a knowledgeable investigator using a good lab can usually detect it.

  • Before hiring a building investigator, ask about their training in indoor air, and in mold sampling, whether they use an accredited lab and check their references.

  • Test results should emphasize whether there is evidence of growth and what mold is found rather than providing mold counts, which alone are useless.

  1. How can you fix mold problems?

  • Identify and correct the moisture source (e.g. leaky roof or window)

  • Clean up wet areas within 24 hours since mold will grow within 24-48 hours

  • Wear personal protection like eye protection, dust mask, and rubber gloves before beginning any minor cleanup

  • Remove any moldy materials by bagging and discarding them

  • Wash the area with soap and water before disinfecting

  • Disinfect the area using a solution of 10% household bleach (e.g., 1-1 cup bleach per gallon of water). Using bleach straight from the bottle will not be more effective.

  • Apply disinfectant with a sponge or spray bottle and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before cleaning.

  • Let cleaned areas dry overnight and use ample ventilation.

  • Dead molds are just as undesirable as live molds (removal is more important than killing).

For a more thorough and comprehensive paper about the cleaning procedures for mold, click here to download the paper by Dr. Phil Morey.

  1. What are the important indoor allergens?

  • Dust mite, mold, insect and animal allergens can all contribute to poor indoor air quality. They can make you sneeze, trigger allergic reactions, cause rashes, watery eyes, coughing, dizziness, lethargy, breathing difficulties, and digestive problems.

  1. How can I test for allergens?

  • There are test kits available in which dust is collected into a filter and is then tested for various molds and allergens. The report details the allergen types and levels measured, and the types of molds identified.

  • You may need to contact a professional to further investigate your home or school, on site, to pinpoint the source of the harmful molds and/or allergens. Based on the findings, procedures for controlling and preventing molds and allergens within your home or school can be recommended.

  1. How can I reduce allergens in my house?

  • Control the sources of indoor air problems

    • Clean your home regularly

    • Control sources of moisture

    • Wash and brush any indoor pets

    • Drain and clean humidifiers regularly and use distilled water in smaller units.

  • Have good and proper ventilation with enough outside air

    • Use local exhaust ventilation that vents to the outside

    • Vent all gas-burning appliances to the outside

    • Keep air ducts clean and dry

    • Change air filters regularly and use a high-efficiency filter, if the ventilation system is powerful enough for one.

    • Don't block any intake or return vents in offices

  • Keep humidity levels between 40 and 60%

  • Filter the air

Chemical Problems in Homes and Buildings

What chemicals are a problem?
What are typical levels of these chemicals?
What health symptoms result from VOC exposure?
What are some common VOCs found?
How do I control the levels of VOCs?
How can I test for VOCs?

  1. What chemicals are a problem?

  1. What are typical levels of these chemicals?

  • Each building will contain anywhere from two-dozen to hundreds of individual VOCs. The total level (TVOC) will range from 200-1000 g/m3. Formaldehyde typically ranges from 20-70 g/m3.

  1. What health symptoms result from VOC exposure?

  • Levels higher than 200 g/m3 TVOC and 60 g/m3 of formaldehyde may result in irritation to people such as burning or itching of eyes or nose, stuffy nose, sore or burning throat or headache.

  1. What are some common VOCs found?

  • Toluene, formaldehyde, styrene, limonene, isopropanol, pentane, tetrachloroethylene, ethanol, decane, and undecane

  1. How do I control the levels of VOCs?

  • The best way is to reduce the sources. Purchase low-emitting materials and furnishings; air out the home when new materials are brought in; use exhaust fans when cooking; avoid use of fragranced materials, deodorizers, and aerosol sprays; store construction chemicals outside of the building.

  1. How can I test for VOCs?

  • There are test kits available to easily measure formaldehyde and VOCs. The report details levels and compares them to available guidelines and standards. ONLY tests specifically designed for IAQ measurements can be used.

Basic Facts about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

General IAQ
Sick Building Syndrome
Health effects associated with IAQ
Mold
Ventilation
IAQ in Schools and in the Workplace

General IAQ

  • Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors.

  • Indoor air can be as much as 100 times more polluted than outside air. These pollutants pose serious environmental exposures to people.

  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls indoor air pollution one of the greatest risks to human health.

  • Indoor air can pose a risk to human health, including asthma, cancer, reproductive and developmental problems.

  • U.S. companies could save as much as $200 billion in worker performance improvements by creating offices with better indoor air.

  • The average household of four adds between 3 and 6 gallons of water to the indoor air in a day.

  • One of every 15 homes in the U.S. has radon levels above the EPA's recommended action level.

Sick Building Syndrome

  • An EPA report found that illness and lost productivity due to indoor air pollution, commonly called "sick building syndrome" (SBS), costs businesses $60 billion annually.

  • Occupants of buildings with SBS complain of eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, dry cough, dry or itchy skin, dizziness, nausea, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue and sensitivity to odors.

  • HVAC (ventilation) systems are a primary cause of the majority of SBS problems.

Health effects associated with IAQ

  • Allergies, which affect about 20% of the population, and asthma, a debilitating condition, are worsened by indoor air pollution. Asthma has increased 160% in the past 15 years.

  • Building-related illnesses include sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, humidifier fever, dermatitis, Legionnaires' Disease, and Pontiac Fever.

  • Asthma is the sixth ranking chronic condition in the U.S. and the leading serious chronic illness of children in the U.S.

  • ~40 million Americans are affected by allergies

  • An estimated 17 million Americans suffer from asthma

  • An estimated 1500 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Legionnaires' disease affects 10,000 to 15,000 people each year

  • ETS (secondhand smoke) causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking Americans each year.

  • Toxins from indoor mold and bacteria can result in effects ranging from short-term irritation to immunosuppression to cancer

  • Smoking is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States today.

  • Numerous indoor contaminants are carcinogens (i.e. benzene and radon or likely to cause cancer (i.e. certain pesticides, chlorinated solvents, and aldehydes).

Mold

  • The types and levels of mold outdoors fluctuate from morning to evening and from day to day. Mold assessments in indoor air must compare the types of molds found indoors to those outdoors.

  • If mold is growing in a building, it may or may not be the cause of a specific complaint.

Ventilation

  • A growing number of buildings today receive inadequate amounts of fresh air because of energy conservation measures. To effectively control air pollution, buildings must be properly ventilated with adequate amounts of outdoor air, and internal pollutant sources must be controlled.

  • Ventilation-related problems are the most frequently encountered cause of IAQ problems.

IAQ in Schools and in the Workplace

  • An estimated 20% of all schools in the U.S. have indoor air problems and 25% have unsatisfactory ventilation.

  • Nearly 1 in 5 schools in the U.S. has at least one room with radon levels above the EPA's recommendation.

  • Health symptoms are experienced in the workplace by 20 to 30 percent of U.S. office workers, and are a source of complaints in schools.

  • Dissatisfaction rate among employees increased by ~20% when the office space was of the open floor plan type.

  • One out of every 3 Americans who work indoors are exposed to poor indoor air.

  • The federal government has no effective standards for IAQ in offices.

  • Identifying and controlling sources of indoor pollutants are the most direct control options for combating indoor air problems. With this consideration, manufacturers may need to redesign products to reduce pollutant emissions.

  • The State of Washington was the first state government to institute indoor air quality guidelines for construction materials, office furnishings, and equipment to be used in newly constructed buildings. Other states are developing such standards.

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