Indoor air quality measurement
Indoor air quality measurement identifies the pollutants in the environment we live in and their concentration.
What is indoor air quality monitoring?
We now spend more time inside buildings than outside. Yet the air inside our buildings and homes can be even more polluted than outdoor air. Indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring
consists of checking, in public buildings as well as homes, the concentration of certain pollutants and confinement factors that are most harmful to occupants’ health.
How is the test carried out?
Selecting
the rooms to test
A sample of rooms is selected according to their number, use and occupancy. We help our clients and their technical departments (for public buildings) fill in the self-assessment forms. Depending on the results, observed practices and cleaning products used, further measurements may or may not be needed.
Installing
the sensors
Passive sensors are installed in the building. They record formaldehyde, benzene and CO2 concentrations over several days. At the same time, the ventilation provisions (mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation, etc.) are assessed. Other toxic substances can be tested for to complete the measurements.
Results and
display
At the end of the measurement period, the sensors are sent to an independent, COFRAC-accredited laboratory for analysis. Results are delivered within about two weeks. Public buildings must display the results and conclusions of the measurement campaigns.
Why measure indoor air quality?
We spend
more time indoors
Because we now spend more time in enclosed spaces – offices, homes – the air we breathe needs to be as healthy as possible.
Airing and ventilation,
the best way to work well
CO2 concentration is the main factor behind loss of attention and concentration, at work as at school. To work well, our brain needs oxygen – hence the importance of good airing or ventilation to control CO2 levels.
Chemicals
are everywhere
Building finishes, cleaning products and furniture release many chemical substances (VOCs) into our indoor air. Even if some pose a low risk in large quantities, no study currently examines their interactions with our metabolism: the well-known “cocktail effect”.
Our expertise
With 20 years’ experience in building biology and advice on natural, low-emission materials, we help you change the habits that improve indoor air quality.
