The Connection Between Indoor Air Quality and Climate Change

Statistics tell us that we are now spending 80% of our time indoors and seasonally even more time than that if we live in areas of the country where the winters are cold and wet or the summers extremely hot and dry. With so much of our time spent indoors where we can stay warm and dry in the winter and cool in the summer, it is obviously important to keep the quality of our indoor air as pure as possible. Heating and cooling systems have boosted their filtration capabilities to remove as many air pollutants as possible. But there are numerous factors that affect indoor air quality and many of these factors are being exacerbated by the effects of climate change.

There are seasonal changes that bring different conditions to the quality of the outdoor air. These changes in turn affect our indoor air quality. The warmer temperatures of spring allow us to open our windows and let the fresh air in again after closing things up for the winter. But with those fresh spring breezes come copious amounts of pollen and other allergens that cause a variety of breathing issues for many people. Spring and summer storms can create water problems (flooding, leaks, damage) in a lot of homes, leading to mold and mildew issues indoors. Summer heat waves create increases in ground level ozone which is detrimental to human health. Prolonged heat causes drought which leads to fires that produce carbon monoxide.

Even in large businesses without many windows, air conditioning and heating systems need to pump outdoor air through their ventilation systems and filter the pollen, pollutants and other contaminants out. If these filters do not get changed in a timely manner or if an unusual event occurs, like a smoke event from a grass or forest fire, these systems can become compromised and the indoor air quality can quickly deteriorate.

Industrial, chemical, agricultural and other pollutants, smoke, smog, dust storms, heavy rainstorms and seasonal changes all have various effects on the quality of both outdoor and indoor air. Being prepared for any or all of these will help your business keep your indoor air quality safe for your employees, clients and customers.

Because storms, fires, wind, drought and other aspects of climate can have significant effects on air quality outside and inside your business, a lot of people are wondering about connections between air quality and climate change. Are the rising temperatures a result of climate change affecting air quality? The American west is in the midst of a two decades long super drought that is leading to dust storms, intense heat waves, massive forest fires and a lot of dangerous air quality levels. Many parts of the world are experiencing huge storms resulting in record setting floods and water damage to homes and businesses.

Whether from smoke, dust, pollen, mold, mildew, pollutants, carbon monoxide, ozone or any other number of particulates that are increasing in our air, many of the causes are connected to climate change. Other than working to reverse the effects of climate change, what can your business do to improve the indoor air quality at your facilities?

With the growing problems of climate change affecting air quality in more and more cities around the country it is important to know what can be done to improve air quality in our businesses. Here are some of the best ways to ensure the long term health of your employees and customers.

Get a baseline measurement of your indoor air quality. 

Know what your indoor air quality problems are before a dangerous outdoor event by getting your indoor air quality professionally tested by an accredited environmental testing laboratory. This will help you to know whether there are existing problems already and will get you prepared for dangerous air quality events.

Invest in Indoor Air Quality Monitors. 

Air quality monitors are easy to install and provide you with accurate readings of pollutants in the air at all times. They can be programmed to alert you to any changes as well as to dangerous situations.

Maximize Building Ventilation 

Ventilation is important for large spaces and leads to improved functionality of all parts of your heating and cooling systems. 

Use Air Purification

Air purifiers have become excellent ways to keep offices cleaner and larger models are making the same option available for bigger spaces.

Stick to a replacement schedule for Air Filters 

This will help keep your system working well and your air clean. Work into the schedule to check the filters after a bad outdoor air event such as a wildfire.

Keep your offices and building ductwork clean

Regular cleaning and maintenance of your HVAC ductwork will keep them working longer and more efficiently. Regular business cleanings will help to keep everything in your business fresh, clean and healthy.

Although there may not be much your business can do when it comes to climate change and air quality deterioration in your area. When it comes to determining what changes the air quality of the indoor air at your business facilities, the answer is your leadership. If you want to be proactive and ensure that your business will continue to provide the best quality work environment by maintaining pure indoor air quality even during bad outdoor air conditions, the best place to start is with a baseline air quality assessment performed by an accredited and experienced testing laboratory like Torrent Laboratory.

Torrent is the premier environmental testing laboratory in California and Hawaii for very good reasons. Our turnaround times are the best in the industry, we have full certification for ambient air quality testing by the Department of Defense (DOD ELAP), the Department of Energy (DoE ELAP) and the State of California and our chemists and engineers have the highest quality service and testing results in the industry.

Not only can we test your facilities and provide accurate and timely reports, but we can guide you through the process of air quality monitoring to ensure the long term safety of your employees and customers.