Concern about indoor air quality (IAQ) and the study of air quality issues is a fairly recent phenomenon. Some of the earliest documented studies occurred in Europe in the mid-1960s and were focused primarily on thermal comfort issues. For the first decade or so, IAQ studies primarily involved comparing inside air to outside air. The level of outdoor pollution was a chief concern and the goal was to ensure that indoor air was of better quality than the outdoor air subjected to pollutants. As studies increased in sophistication, other measurable factors came into play. Building construction materials and techniques changed radically. A reduction in natural ventilation, or "fresh" air, in the interest of saving energy became a concern and, finally, people realized that pollutants could actually originate within a building. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 30 percent of all commercial buildings have significant IAQ problems. Recent developments in construction materials have resulted in the use of more synthetics and composites, which can affect air quality. Radical changes in technology have led to innovations such as computers and photocopiers that provide greater efficiencies and time savings, but they can also affect the quality of indoor air. These potentially adverse effects are further complicated by the fact that people are spending more time than ever indoors, up to 90 percent according to estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is easy to understand why there is a growing concern about the quality of the air we breathe.
As a result of these and other factors, totally new terminology has come into use and the topic is gaining more attention every day. Some examples include:
- Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) -where more than 20 percent of occupants experience adverse effects, but no clinically diagnosed disease is found.
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