Why Indoor Air Quality is Important to Your School

Understanding IAQ Problems and Solutions

Sources of Indoor Air Pollutants

Building Occupants

How do I know if there is an IAQ problem?

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Basics for Schools

Building Occupants

Building occupants in schools include the staff, students, and other people, who spend extended periods of time in the school. The effects of IAQ problems on occupants are often vague symptoms, rather than clearly defined illnesses. Symptoms commonly attributed to IAQ problems include:

• headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath
• sinus congestion, cough, and sneezing
• eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation
• dizziness and nausea

All of these symptoms, however, may also be caused by other factors, and are not necessarily due to air quality problems. Environmental stresses such as improper lighting, noise, vibration, overcrowding, and psychosocial problems (such as job or home stress) can produce symptoms that are similar to those associated with poor air quality, but require different solutions.

Because people are different, one individual may react to a particular IAQ problem, while surrounding occupants have no noticeable ill effects. In other cases, complaints may be widespread. In addition to different degrees of reaction, an indoor air pollutant or problem can trigger different types of reactions in different people. Some groups that may be particularly susceptible to effects of indoor air contaminants include:

• allergic or asthmatic individuals, or people with sensitivity to chemicals
• people with respiratory disease
• people whose immune systems are suppressed due to radiation or chemotherapy, or disease
• contact lens wearers