Creating a healthy environment is a new growth vector for the construction industry

Part 1. Indoor air quality

The need for air is basic. However, we rarely pay attention to the quality of inhaled air. We instinctively feel that we breathe better in the mountains or at sea, but we can rarely reasonably tell how changes in indoor air quality are felt over time and how they affect our well-being. We can distinguish between sudden excesses of airborne pollutants such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide, but we seldom recognize low concentrations of harmful substances. This is why we may be exposed for a long time (without knowing it) to pollutants that have a cumulative effect, and then begin to guess about the causes of "unexpected" ill health.
It is especially important to monitor the quality of air in rooms, such as offices or apartments, where a person stays for a long time - more than 8-10 hours. Typical office air pollutants are chemicals, microorganisms and particles, the sources of which are different and are located both inside and outside the building.

Ozone, volatile organic compounds produced by finishing components, legionella bacteria, allergens and asthmogens create a cocktail of pollutants that can be formed by carpeting, finishing materials, cleaning products, office equipment and with incoming visitor flows, as well as poor organization of ventilation.

Diseases that are primarily caused by poor air quality, such as respiratory diseases, viral infections and allergies, have long been under investigation as a new field of medicine. It is essential that understanding the effects of inhaled air on the body is underestimated by ordinary building users, which does not encourage the creation of a healthier and better environment.

Some facts identified by studies on indoor air quality

1) In 2003, a generalized study was carried out, which identified 15 works linking the improvement of indoor air quality (increase in air exchange frequency, increase in the volume of fresh outdoor air to workplaces, reduction of pollutant concentrations) with an 11% increase in employee productivity [1].

2) In 2006, a meta-analysis of 24 works revealed that poor air quality and temperature discomfort reduced productivity in such activities as printing speed and information analysis by 10%. The analysis showed that optimal air exchange levels are within the range of 72-108 m3/h. When the level of air exchange increases to the values of 108-180 m3/h, there is a noticeable "burst of energy" [2].

3) In 2011, laboratory testing under the conditions of imitation office work in the presence of volatile organic components in the air with an increase in air supply from 18 to 108 m3 / h increased efficiency by 8% [3].

4) Reducing the number of sick leaves can also be a key indicator of the benefits of good indoor air quality. Studies show that in office buildings ventilated at 24 l/s, compared to 12 l/s, the number of short-term illnesses decreased by 35% (in a sample of 2,000 studies) [4]. This study found that the benefit of increasing air exchange per staff member was $400 (in a sample of 2,000 studies). This study showed that the benefit of increasing air exchange per staff member is US$ 400 per year.

5) High CO2 concentrations accelerate fatigue and affect the ability to make difficult decisions. A recent laboratory experiment has shown that a CO2 concentration of 1000 particles per million (ppm), compared to 600 ppm, reduces the quality of decision-making by 11-23% [5].

6) Finnish scientists conducted 21 experiments with more than 30,000 subjects to study the effects of CO2 concentrations. If the carbon dioxide level in an office room exceeded 800 ppm, complaints of inflammation of the eyes and nasopharynx, headaches, fatigue and difficulty in concentrating, as well as problems with the respiratory system were reported.

7) The press release of the annual conference of the European Respiratory Society in 2006 published the results of studies carried out in five EEC countries by a group of Italian scientists, according to which 68% of children are negatively affected by CO2 levels above 1,000 ppm. They had more difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, dry cough and rhinitis than other children. The following conclusions were drawn: children indoors with high CO2 levels were 3.5 times more likely to have a dry cough and 2 times more likely to develop rhinitis. They have a more vulnerable nasopharynx than their peers.

8) At low humidity indoors, the protective mucous membranes of the respiratory system dry out and lead to an increased risk of infection with various diseases such as flue and ODS (according to studies conducted by Universitätsklinikum Erla) due to reduced nasopharyngeal cleansing function. For example, it was found that influenza viruses survive longer and spread more actively at low humidity levels. In addition, the eye conjunctiva may also suffer from dry air, leading to so-called "dry eye syndrome", which drastically reduces performance. Hügenblichler's research shows that the optimal room humidity level is 45%. At relative humidity below 20 %, the cleaning speed of mucous membranes is almost completely slowed down, increasing the risk of respiratory infections.

9) American scientists from Mount Sinai found that the risk of the flue transferring at 20-35 % relative humidity is three times higher than at 50 %.
10) For those whose work is related to oral communication, such as teachers and call center staff, relative humidity levels are particularly important because dry air causes ligament problems, coughing, drying of the throat and, in the worst case, loss of voice. The minimum humidity level should be 40 % in the rooms where the activity is carried out.

11) Diseases caused by poor air quality include Legionella ("legionnaire's disease"), a sapronous acute infectious disease caused by different types of microorganisms of the Legionella genus, which in some cases can be fatal. Legionella is sown from liquids of conditioners, industrial and household cooling systems, boiler and shower installations, equipment for respiratory therapy. Today, more cases of legionella are found in the USA and European countries. Apparently, it is connected with high level of diagnostics, and also with possibility of carrying out retrospective researches. In Russia, 18 cases of legionellosis were recorded in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, only 26 cases of legionellosis were described in Russia, 4 of them in children aged 6 to 14.


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