Page 51 - CIJ Feb 2024 Digital Edition

Facility ManageMent-iaQ

Impact of Indoor Air Quality on

Occupant Health

UR Uday Kumar, MD, Amps

Facilities Management Services Pvt
Ltd explains how understanding
and controlling common pollutants
indoors can help reduce the risk of
indoor health concerns.

ndoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers the treatment is simply
to air quality within and around eliminating the person’s
buildings and structures, exposure to the source
especially as it relates to the of the pollution, if it can
Ihealth and comfort of building be identified. Soon after
occupants. Health effects from exposure to some indoor
indoor air pollutants may be air pollutants, symptoms sensitized to biological or chemical
experienced soon after exposure or, of some diseases such as asthma pollutants after repeated or high
possibly, years later. may show up, be aggravated or level exposures.
worsened.
Immediate Effects The likelihood of immediate Long-Term Effects
reactions to indoor air pollutants
Some health effects may show up depends on several factors Other health effects may show
shortly after a single exposure or including age and pre-existing up either years after exposure
repeated exposures to a pollutant. medical conditions. In some has occurred or only after long
These include irritation of the cases, whether a person reacts or repeated periods of exposure.
eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, to a pollutant depends on These effects, which include
dizziness, and fatigue. Such individual sensitivity, which varies some respiratory diseases, heart
immediate effects are usually short- tremendously from person to disease and cancer, can be severely
debilitating or fatal. It is prudent to
term and treatable. Sometimes person. Some people can become try to improve the indoor air quality
in your home even if symptoms are
not noticeable.

Primary Causes of
Indoor Air Problems
Sources that release gases
or particles into the air are the
primary cause of indoor air quality
problems. Inadequate ventilation
can increase pollutant levels by
not bringing in enough outdoor air
to dilute emissions from indoor
sources and by not carrying indoor
air pollutants out of the area. High
temperature and humidity levels
can also increase concentrations of
some pollutants.

Clean India Journal•FEBRUARY 2024 51
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