Healthy Buildings, Healthy Lives: The Key to Better Indoor Air Quality

Do you ever wonder why your home or even you feel so stuffy during winter? With colder temperatures and darker days, people tend to spend more time inside with windows and doors shut, limiting ventilation and trapping pollutants. Unknowingly trapping these pollutants in your home can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, respiratory system and even the heart. This is particularly prevalent in the young and elderly, people with respiratory conditions, and even low-income households, which tend to have poorer building quality and ventilation options. Numerous indoor activities can lead to an increase in that feeling of stuffiness during the winter.

Heating Systems and Combustion By-products

Many homes today still rely on fireplaces, boilers and space heaters to stay warm. These systems can introduce pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter into the home. Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves produce fine particles that linger in the air, potentially irritating the respiratory system. This is particularly true for those that aren’t properly maintained or use wood that has a high moisture or resin content. Gas stoves and improperly vented heating appliances such as radiators and agars also contribute to poor indoor air quality. Whereas in the warmer months, you might open a window to allow the smoke to escape whilst cooking, the desire to keep warm often outweighs this.

Household Cleaning Products and Synthetic Materials

While often disregarded, frequent use of cleaning products can also introduce pollutants into the indoor air mix. Many common disinfectants, sprays, and air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to poor air quality. VOCs also come from paints, adhesives, furniture made with synthetic materials, and even drying clothes indoors. With reduced airflow in winter, these VOCs accumulate, leading to potential irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. It is important, therefore, to be aware of what chemicals are being used in the cleaning process and, where possible, choose less harmful products. This is not just true for the home either, as offices and schools tend to be cleaned out of hours, leaving behind cleaning products on the surfaces which may become trapped in the room and not properly removed if windows aren’t opened upon entering them first thing to preserve the heat on cold winter mornings.

Increased Humidity and Mould Growth

As touched on already, humidity levels are often higher indoors during winter since windows and doors are kept closed while cooking, showering, and drying clothes take place indoors. Improper ventilation and excess humidity can create an ideal environment for mould. Mould can become airborne as spores and can contribute to allergies and respiratory issues.

Candles, Incense, Tobacco Smoke

Scented candles, wax melts, essential oil diffusers and incense, while often used to create a cozy atmosphere, release fine particulate matter and synthetic fragrances. These can release a range of harmful chemicals that linger long after the source is extinguished. Even in well-ventilated spaces, these chemicals can cling to surfaces and continue to affect air quality. In certain instances, choosing unscented or soy-based candles can help minimise pollutants. The extreme end of this is smoking indoors, which releases even more harmful chemicals that linger even longer.

How can we deal with issues relating to Indoor Air Quality?

The good news is that we can take steps to maintain Indoor Air Quality. These include switching off gas and wood-burning appliances in favour of electric ones (at least as items are replaced); ensuring any filters are replaced and ducts cleaned within mechanical ventilation systems; using carbon dioxide sensors and demand-controlled ventilation to maintain adequate fresh air supply; ensuring effective occupant control of ventilation, such as opening the windows; and using products which minimise the use of VOCs once operational.

Whilst some of the issues can be used to control emissions whilst the Proposed Development is in use, good design techniques can also be used to prevent the deterioration of poor air quality as it is built. These can include:

• Specifying low-VOC paints, adhesives, solvents, and floor finishes to reduce off-gassing
• Implementing effective ventilation strategies, including natural and mechanical ventilation, to prevent the ingress of external air pollutants. Inlets to mechanical ventilation systems should be cited carefully away from known sources of pollution, such as busy roads
• Designing spaces to prevent cross-contamination, such as separating pollutant-generating areas (e.g., printing rooms, kitchens) from occupied areas
• applying moisture control measures to prevent mould growth, including appropriate drainage and humidity management
• Protecting HVAC systems during construction by sealing ductwork and using temporary filters to prevent dust and debris accumulation

There are numerous certifications available to recognise environmental stewardship in buildings, including from BREEAM. The number of credits which are awarded is determined based on the extent to which the buildings comply with various environmental criteria, including several available for Indoor Air Quality. Temple’s air quality and climate team have experience in preparing Indoor Air Quality Plans.