Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings: A Technical Guide

Health Canada
ISBN: 0-662-23846-X
Cat. No.: H46-2/93-16 Erev

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(174K)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Scope

1.1 Purpose of Document
1.2 Users
1.3 Investigation Methods

2. Background

2.1 Sick Building Syndrome and Related Complaints
2.2 Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality
2.3 Ventilation Guidelines

3. Communication Strategy
4. Initial Assessment

4.1 Initial Walkthrough
4.2 Reviewing the Complaint Area
4.3 Defining the Problem and Drawing Conclusions

5. Detailed Assessment

5.1 Collecting Information about Air Quality Indicators

5.1.1 Purpose of Measurements
5.1.2 Sampling Considerations
5.1.3 Overview of Monitoring Methods and Equipment

5.2 Individual Source Evaluation

5.2.1 Temperature and Humidity
5.2.2 Carbon Dioxide
5.2.3 Air Motion
5.2.4 Carbon Monoxide
5.2.5 Formaldehyde
5.2.6 Particulates
5.2.7 Volatile Organic Compounds
5.2.8 Microbials

5.3 Assessing the HVAC System

5.3.1 Collecting Background Information
5.3.2 Inspecting the HVAC System

6. Bibliography

List of Tables

1. Factors and Sources Affecting Indoor Air Quality and Comfort
2. Odours as Problem Indicators in Office Buildings
3. Commonly Encountered VOCs and Their Sources

Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings: A Technical Guide

A Report of the Federal-Provincial Advisory Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health

Également disponible en français sous le titre :
“Guide technique pour l’évaluation de la qualité de l’air dans les immeubles à bureaux"

Our mission is to help the people of Canada maintain and improve their health.
Health Canada

93-EHD-166
(Revised 1995)

The views expressed in this report are those of the author, and the publication does not constitute an approval or agreement on the part of Health Canada. Copies of the Report are available from:

Communications Branch
Health Canada
Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9

Telephone (613) 952-9191
Fax (613) 952-7266

Author

Tedd Nathanson, Senior Engineer, Building Air Quality
Public Works and Government Services Canada

Federal-Provincial Working Group
on Indoor Air Quality in the Office Environment

Herb Wooley, Chairperson – Saskatchewan

Quang Bach Pham – Quebec
Dan Clark – Alberta
Greg Cook – New Brunswick
Leonard Gallant – Prince Edward Island
Shelley Gray – Nova Scotia
John Kirkbride – Health and Welfare Canada
David Leong – Ontario
Dennis Nikkel – Manitoba
Robert Smith – British Columbia
Sylvester Wong – Northwest Territories

Secretariat

David Green – Health and Welfare Canada
Gemma Kerr – Public Works Canada
Tedd Nathanson – Public Works Canada

Editors

Joy McDonell
Marla Sheffer

Funding for this project was provided by
Department of National Health and Welfare

Definitions

Building-related illness
A specific illness with a known cause that is a result of exposure to an indoor agent. Examples are Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac fever.

Health
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Indoor air quality
The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of indoor air in non-residential workplaces with no internal industrial processes or operations that can affect the comfort or health of the occupant.

Sick building syndrome
A set of symptoms related to chemical, particulate or biological exposure that cannot be related to a specific cause but are alleviated when the occupant leaves the building. Individuals report symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue and drowsiness, to eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Stressors
Environmental parameters, such as lighting, noise, vibration, ergonomics, overcrowding and other psychosocial issues which may affect a person’s perception and satisfaction of the built environment and indoor air quality.

Thermal comfort
A state of mind in which a person feels satisfaction with the thermal environment. The factors affecting thermal comfort are air temperature, mean radiant temperature, stratification, air motion, relative humidity, activity level and clothing.

Ventilation rate
The amount of outside air that is supplied to the interior space.