Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality Measurements:
Facility Managers and Residents can find it challenging to determine if their buildings have exceptional, fair, or even poor
indoor air quality (IAQ). Measuring and testing indoor air quality is an imperfect science with many variables, and the path
to establishing whether or not a building has healthy indoor air is rarely clear cut. The most important tools for evaluating
indoor air quality are your nose, eyes, and ears; however, there are additional measurements that can help assess indoor air
quality in buildings.
While investigating any indoor air quality situation, be aware of the entire picture. Many parameters that may be contributing
to an overall problem must be considered and checked. Also keep in mind that it is not uncommon to find multi-layered problems;
finding and solving one issue may not get to the root cause. Think of an investigation as peeling an onion; as each layer is
removed, another is exposed. Be sure to understand the exact time and place that problems are suspected, since many indoor air
quality problems are transitory. Use common sense along with the proper tools and keep investigating and correcting problems
until complaints stop.
Measurement Guidelines:
The measurement guidelines outlined in the links below will provide a basic introduction to various measurements that may help
assess indoor air quality. In addition to these guidelines, you may need to refer to the operator’s manual for details on
operation of the instrument. We do not recommend specific instruments. You should select an instrument based on your goals
and approach. For example, I look for instruments that are low cost and measure one parameter. I am generally working with
large groups of students and want to get everyone involved in making the measurements.
Resources: