Despite being an important element of the internal environment, air quality is much harder to pin down than some of the other factors that influence the surroundings. It’s easy to tell when a space is too hot or too cold, or if the lighting is not quite right, but the effects of poor air quality are more subtle and build over time.
Indoor air quality is affected by complex and interlinked factors, due to both outside and inside air pollution. Sources of outdoor air pollution include road traffic, industrial processes, waste incineration and construction and demolition sites. Pollution includes particulate matter, NO2, CO and pollen, all of which can be brought into a building through natural or mechanical ventilation and via infiltration through the building fabric.
But there are also pollution sources inside a building, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) given off by wall and floor coverings, furniture and appliances as they age and degrade; dust, damp and mould; emissions from office equipment and industrial machinery; and, of course, occupants themselves, who breathe out CO2 and can spread colds and viruses. In this video Daikin explains how to protect people and surroundings from Indoor Air Pollutants.