IAQ – short for ‘Indoor Air Quality’ – refers to the quality of the air we breathe indoors. Not only is having enough fresh air important, but the quality of indoor air also has a significant impact on the wellbeing and performance of those present.

Unfiltered, indoor air can be polluted with biological, chemical and combustion pollutants:

• Biological pollutants: agents derived from living organisms, such as bacteria, molds, mildew, viruses, house dust, mites and pollen.

• Chemical pollutants: chemical compounds emitted from everyday (cleaning) products, air fresheners, disinfectants, furniture and paint.

• Combustion pollutants: emissions from indoor combustion appliances, varying from carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and (ultra)fine particles to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and formaldehyde.

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Pollutants that cause us trouble include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxides (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), radon (Rn) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, benzene, etc. – which infiltrate through, among others, outside air, printers, furniture, carpeting, computers, cleaning products, paints, pollen and mould (humidity). 

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Of the 82,000 commercial chemicals used, we know what the negative (effects) on our health are for less than 15% of these.

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Pollutants enter our body both through inhalation and skin absorption. The most common physical ailments caused by poor indoor air quality are asthma, fatigue, irritation and headaches. In turn, these ailments contribute to a decreased feeling of wellness, diminished productivity and/or more absenteeism-related illness.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared that the health risks posed inside are greater than those outside.