Indoor Air Quality – Part II: Mitigating Indoor Air Quality Problems - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Indoor Air Quality – Part II: Mitigating Indoor Air Quality Problems

Course Outline

Chapter One is a brief review of the material from Part I which discusses the factors affecting indoor air quality. Chapter Two covers the methodology to address and mitigate indoor air quality issues. Chapter Three reviews 15 common indoor air quality scenarios along with suggestions techniques to mitigate the issue. Chapter Four addresses how to evaluate indoor air quality plans.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

After taking this course you should,

Be able to define indoor air quality;
Understand the implications of not addressing indoor air quality concerns;
Know the four elements that contribute to air quality issues;
Be able to explain the air quality benefits of a properly functioning HVAC system;
Understand the common pollution pathways in a building;
Be able to explain the four common air quality control strategies;
Be able to identify pollution control sources;
Understand how ventilation contributes to air quality;
Understand how air cleaning can improve air quality;
Be able to explain the four technologies to remove contaminants from the air;
Know the benefits of exposure control; and
Know how to address common air quality issues.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for anyone concerned about improving indoor air quality.

Benefit to Attendees

Building air quality is becoming a greater concern due to the “tightness” of buildings and the variety of activities that occur in a commercial environment. This course should give you a good understanding of the factors creating air quality problems and the potential areas to look for to correct air quality problems.

Course Introduction

A healthy indoor environment is one in which the surroundings contribute to productivity, comfort, and a sense of health and well being. The indoor air is free from significant levels of odors, dust and contaminants and circulates to prevent stuffiness without creating drafts.

In a well designed facility, temperature and humidity are appropriate to the season and to the clothing and activity of the building occupants. There is enough light to illuminate work surfaces without creating glare and noise levels do not interfere with activities. Sanitation, drinking water, fire protection, and other factors affecting health and safety are well planned and properly managed.

Unfortunately, many commercial buildings do not meet the above mentioned standard for air quality even though good air quality is an important component of a healthy indoor environment. For the purposes of this document, the definition of good indoor air quality includes:

Introduction and distribution of adequate ventilation air,
Control of airborne contaminants, and
Maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity.

A practical guide to indoor air quality (IAQ) cannot overlook temperature and humidity, because thermal comfort concerns underlie many complaints about “poor air quality.” Furthermore, temperature and humidity are among the many factors that affect indoor contaminant levels.

The course is the second course in a series of two courses on indoor air quality. In the first course we looked at factors affecting indoor air quality and how to measure and evaluate indoor air quality. An explanation of how HVAC systems work was covered as well as issues with mold, mildew, asbestos and radon.

In this course, we discuss methods to mitigate indoor air quality problems and cover several common indoor air quality problems and potential solutions.

Course Content

This course content is in the following PDF document:

Indoor Air Quality – Part II: Mitigating Indoor Air Quality Problems

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

Failure to respond promptly and effectively to building environmental problems can have consequences such as:

Increasing health problems such as cough, eye irritation, headache, and allergic reactions, and, in some rare cases, resulting in life-threatening conditions (e.g., Legionnaire’s disease, carbon monoxide poisoning)
Reducing productivity due to discomfort or increased absenteeism
Accelerating deterioration of furnishings and equipment
Straining relations between landlords and tenants, employers and employees
Creating negative publicity that could put rental properties at a competitive disadvantage
Opening potential liability problems

Mitigating air quality problems involves controlling the sources of contaminants, ventilation, filtering, and minimizing exposure to harmful contaminants. This course has covered several examples of how to mitigate these issues and how to evaluate the results of the mitigation strategies.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.