Healthier buildings for healthier people

Wellbeing is everything and our surroundings influence how we feel. We highlight some factors on why healthy air quality is important for you and your building, and what you can do about it. 

With the big focus on wellbeing since the beginning of the pandemic, we should always remember that the interior spaces have a huge role to play in this and the way we feel. Sick buildings can have a significant influence on the occupants. We highlight the key factors and what you can do to change it.

Closing the door on pollution? Don’t think so…

We think that by closing our door and windows we leave all the bad effects of pollution out of our house. But the reality is very different. Did you know that the air quality indoors can often be worse than outdoors? Well, this is the case in many buildings nowadays (EPA, 2021) and that’s worrying for you, me and the buildings. People tend to spend more and more time indoors, according to Klepeis et al. (2001), we spent more than 90% of our time indoor. So putting a focus on good indoor air quality is essential for our health and wellbeing.

Know your enemy, know yourself

As Sun Tzu wrote in the book “Art of war”, “if you know your enemy and you know yourself you shall win a hundred battles without loss”. By understanding the root causing the issue we can work towards a solution and create a healthier indoor environment in our buildings.

Emissions from the combustion of fuels for cooking and heating can be a very strong cause of indoor pollution that is able to cause significant adverse effects to people. Additionally, poor air filtration can encourage the growth of fungi and bacteria which can lead to poor indoor air quality. Finally, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are emitted as gases from the surface of building materials, paints, varnishes, cleaning products and furniture are responsible for a range of health effects.

Still not convinced?

The problems in people’s health is often related to poor indoor air quality. And that can vary between low concentration, fatigue to even premature deaths. In fact 3.8 million deaths are attributed to the result of indoor exposure to smoke from cookstoves and fuels (WHO, n.d.). Poor indoor air quality can have an effect in our cognitive functioning and lead to reduced productivity. The impact of VOCs can lead to air and throat irritation, nausea and headaches (WHO, n.d.).

Studies have shown that cognitive scores can be 101% higher in buildings that have invested in good indoor air quality and enhanced ventilation (Allen J., et al., 2016). Investing in good indoor air quality in the building will not only lead to healthier and happier people but can have a direct economic influence as well. Highly engaged employees can lead to an improved business performance by up to 30% and 3 out of 4 building owners report that healthy buildings can be more easily leased.

Solutions for a better indoor environment

Improving air filtration and selecting materials that are naturally mould and mildew resistant can lead to significant improvements in indoor air quality Indoor use. A focus on good building fabric that will ensure proper insulation and good air filtration can also help.

Focusing on the selection of appropriate building materials is also essential in order to reduce to level of VOC emissions in your building. VOC emissions from construction products are nowadays regulated in many parts of the world such as California and Europe. However, there are additional labels that go one step further, imposing stricter limits to indoor air emissions, and encouraging an even better indoor air environment. The labels can be supplied in support of a sustainability certification of a building such as LEED, BREEAM, WELL, HQE and DGNB and are an important indicator towards the sustainability assessment of the building.

Rockfon products(en.rockfon.international) hold the best in class indoor climate labels so you can be sure for the level of indoor air quality, when selecting a Rockfon product. Our products, depending on the market and type, can have the following labels:

1. French VOC A+
2. Cradle to Cradle Silver/Bronze
3. Finnish M1
4. Blue Angel
5. Danish Indoor climate Label
6. Singapore Green Building Product Certificate

Making sure that you select products that hold such labels is essential in order to achieve a good environment for the building occupants and a real investment for the future.

More about us, please visit us @ en.rockfon.international.

References

Allen, J., MacNaughton P, et al. (2016) Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers: A Controlled Exposure Study of Green and Conventional Office Environments. Environmental Health Perspectives [Online] Available at: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1510037 [Accessed July 2021]

Hay Group, "Employee Engagement", available via: https://www.kornferry.com/uk/solutions/organizational-strategy/employee-engagement

KLEPEIS, N., NELSON, W., OTT, W. et al. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 11, 231–252 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500165

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2021, “Indoor Air Quality” [online], available via https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-indoor-air-quality, accessed July 2021

World Health Organisation. (n.d). Air pollution [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/airpollution/en/ , Accessed July 2021