CURRENT TRENDS FEATURE. for Indoor Air Quality

Transcription

1 CURRENT TRENDS fo Idoo Ai Quality D Vyt Gays Ph.D, B.Sc (Hos), ARACI, AIMM, MAIRAH, ACA * Maagig Dicto ad Picipal Cosultat, Ctc Pty Ltd. Abstact: This aticl ovviws th cut stat of Idoo Ai Quality (IAQ) Bst Pactic. It ivstigats th issu holistically, i a ffot to xplai th wid social cosqucs of poo IAQ, ad pot o wh cut bst pactic stadads a hadd. Kywods: idoo ai quality, halth ffcts, idoo viomts, outag cotol, potctig built viomts. Bst Pactic Pojct Dlivy Poo IAQ is a sult of poo costuctio tchiqus ad pojct dlivy, as wll as substadad maitac pocdus. A impotat iitiativ to combat mdioc ad poo costuctio pactics has com fom th Popty Coucil of Austalia which commissiod Th Road Map to Pojct Excllc Rpot (1). This pot dtmid th divs of pojct xcllc ad covd 28 xcllt pojcts xtactd fom 90 itviws fom 80 ogaisatios havig pojct valus fom $350,000 to $350 millio. Whilst oly 10% of pojcts w classifid as xcllt, th divs of pojct xcllc w idtifid. Th subsqut cofc (2) sultd i pstatios fom slctd ogaisatios, which had idtifid th ky citia fo dlivig xcllc. Th cofc mad a stog cas that xcllc i costuctio should b pusud at all stags ad at all lvls of pojcts as a stog div of total walth catio ad stakhold satisfactio. Th log-tm costs of poo pojct dsig ad dlivy a vy high v wh th shot-tm cost savigs a tak ito accout. Th is th pottial fo poductivity losss of up to 15% if ai quality ad th gal idoo viomt a dficit. Eviomtally sustaiabl dvlopmt (ESD) picipls, which iclud IAQ, a at last ow big applid to w costuctio pojcts, with th most otabl big pojcts associatd with th Sydy Olympics. Th autho has b ivolvd i applyig ths picipls o sval pojcts, most ctly i th dvlopmt of th CSIRO Clayto sit with Dsig Ic. ad th ctly appovd Bisba Magistat's Cout Pojct with Walt Costuctios. Th dg of iovatio was also applid i th ladmak Rzo Piao dsigd, Ld Las built Macquai Apatmts i Sydy. Tds i pactic show that it is likly that comptitio, valus ad litigatio will puish thos ogaisatios that glct viomtally sustaiabl dvlopmt picipls ad allow th dsig, istallatio ad maagmt of systms that do ot dliv high-quality idoo ai viomts upo commissioig ad wll ito th futu. Clits ad occupats a icasigly awa of th quimt fo highquality idoo ai fo optimal occupat ad offic quipmt pfomac. This is suppotd by th fact that occupat ad latd costs costitut almost 90% of th costs of opatig most built viomts. Th is th pottial fo poductivity losss of up to 15% if ai quality ad th gal idoo viomt a dficit. Futhmo, i xtm cass, buildigs caot b occupid util th idoo viomts a ctifid. Th autho has b associatd with o pojct wh a impotat sctio of th buildig has b vacat fo sv yas ad th occupats hav b lgally compsatd. I th cas of a lgiolla, asbstos o toxic mould icidt, sv commcial disuptio ad halth ffcts ca sult fom dficit dsig, mdiatio ad buildig maagmt. Such icidts ca advsly affct a commcial facility fo up to fiv yas. Halth Effcts of Idoo Ai Quality ad th Ifluc of Stss. Wh stog motivs a blockd by impassabl bais, o by bais that w caot cicumvt, th fustatio, stss ad coflict ais (3,4). If poo idoo ai quality cats additioal bais such as lowd mtal altss, y o thoat iitatio o a gal flig of uwllss, thy ca impd v th most motivatd woks ad thus lad to stss. Basd o lgal activity ad publicatio, th gal lvl of stss i offic wokplacs appas to b isig ad is ow a lgitimat caus of wokplac halth ad safty compsatio claims. Stss has b dfid as a coditio of choic motioal tsio aisig fom pologd fustatio, which ca lad to homostatic chags i th body, which call up ou ital dfsiv focs such as sctios fom glads ad oth physiological chags. With o coscious ffot o ou pat, stss causs adal glads to sct adali ad 8

2 piphi homos to quip us fo fight o flight. Ulik pimitiv ma w caot dissipat ths xcssiv lvls of homos sic w hav to mai bhid a dsk o a sals cout ad du th vaity of tsio actios. Extsiv aimal xpimts ad huma obsvatios hav ld to th cliical fild, kow as psychosomatic mdici (5). This ca iclud sius disods, asthma, high blood pssu, hadachs, bathig poblms, dy mouth, mmoy ad coctatio poblms ad ctai ski disods. It is impotat to difftiat stss symptoms fom thos causd by IAQ dficicis. Gawl (6) discusss th cocpt of th Stss - Pfomac Gaph ad th stss cycl, as show i Figu 1. Toats (7), i xamiig th cocptual ad biological aspcts of stss, lookd at uophysiology, dociology ad biochmisty as wll as th immu systm. It is thus likly that ssitivity to poo viomtal coditios is hightd wh buildig occupats a stssd du to thi wok viomt. I c a s i g Fatigu Exhaustio P f o m a c Comfot Zo Illss Bakdow Icasig Stss Stss - Pfomac Gaph Fig. 1: Souc I. Gawl (5) Th ffcts of poo idoo viomts o halth a cutly big studid xtsivly ad guidlis fo ai quality w st by th Wold Halth Ogaisatio (WHO) Expt Task Foc i 2000 (8). Th WHO has idicatd that halth ffcts ca iclud icasd ats of cac, lug disas, allgy ad asthma, as wll as fatal coditios such as lgioai s disas. Th mdical ad social costs associatd with ths illsss, ad a latd ductio i huma poductivity, sult i staggig coomic losss. Th guidlis commd that futh buildig suvys, pidmiology ad coomic studis a quid (8). Ai pollutat coctatios ad oth aspcts which affct suscptibility, iclud mtoological, dmogaphic, sociocoomic ad p-xistig disas factos (3). Th WHO Rgioal Committ fo Euop i 1998 solvd that by th ya 2015, popl i th gio should liv i a saf physical viomt, with xposu to cotamiats hazadous to halth at lvls ot xcdig itatioally agd stadads (9). Futu studis a likly to xami th latioship btw th pcptio of ad halth actios to idoo viomts by stssd ad ustssd idividuals ad to th ability of poo idoo viomts to cotibut to icasd stss lvls of th occupats. I 2000, th Amica Socity of Hatig Rfigatio ad Egiig (ASHRAE) affimd that thi stadads should ad do cosid halth impacts wh sttig th citia fo accptabl idoo ai viomts. 9

3 ASHRAE commdd th followig: 1. Adoptio of ASHRAE 62 (2001) ad 65 o idoo thmal ad IAQ maagmt. 2. Expadd public ad pivat suppot fo sach o IAQ ad its ffcts o popl. 3. Cotiud govmt suppot fo IAQ ducatio ad implmtatio pogams. 4. Cotiud sach o buildig gy fficicy ad IAQ. 5. Cotiuous suppot of th abov by ASHRAE. Th icasd dmads of occupats, gulatos ad wold tds ow qui a total Risk Assssmt ad Maagmt appoach to idoo ai quality. A majo issu i th Uitd Stats is th itoductio of th Toxic Mold Safty ad Potctio Act ito th U.S. Cogss which, wh passd, will qui massiv xpditus fom public, commcial ad pivat buildigs to adicat moulds. Th awass of micobiological issus is also gowig i Austalia. Austalia Issus I Austalia, th idoo viomt lacks a ctal gulatoy focus. As discussd i th Commowalth Dpatmt of Halth ad Agd Ca, Litatu Rviw ad Rsach Suvy, 2000 (10), th obstacls to a ffctiv Austalia IAQ policy w as follows: 1. Dmacatio of ai quality ad coodiatig agcis. 2. Policy actio vacuum. 3. Poo coodiatio. 4. Data availability ad coodiatio dficicy. 5. Skills dficicy. Th Eviomt Austalia 2000 IAQ Rpot (11) cofimd th abov difficultis, compoudd by th iability of Natioal Eviomt Potctio Masus (NEPM) to addss IAQ paamts as discussd by AIRAH (12). O a mo positiv ot, th Stadads Austalia Committ EV007-2 fo Idoo Ai Quality Masumt is dvlopig stadadisd mthodologis fo th masumt of IAQ. Oth lvat committs, which ifluc IAQ a th ctly viwd AS (2002) fo th Dsig of Vtilatio Systms, ad to som dg AS/NZS 3666 fo Coolig Tows ad th AS Committ EV007-1 fo Ambit Ai. Th AIRAH ai filts applicatio maual, DA15, also maks a valuabl cotibutio to th impotat subjct of paticulat maagmt. Th Popty Coucil of Austalia, wh it was still kow as th Buildig Ows ad Maags Associatio (BOMA), publishd a iaugual guid to th assssmt of idoo ai quality i buildigs i This guid was closly followd by a simila guidac documt fom th Uitd Stats Eviomtal Potctio Agcy. Outag Cotol ad Risk Maagmt Populatio o idividual outag is oft a cosquc of usolvd o umaagd isk pcptio. Outag ca maifst itslf as low lvl stmt, subvsiv bhavio ad v outight cofotatio, sultig i vacuatio ad th pusuit of lgal optios. If issus mai usolvd ad pop isk maagmt pocdus a ot followd, logtm aggavatio may bcom tchd ad cat vy difficult loss of tust cosqucs. Th autho has b ivolvd i a wid umb of outag solutio pojcts aisig fom dfctiv idoo ai quality. I paticula, pojcts ivolvig schools o child ca cts ca hav vy apid tasitio to patal ad tach outag, du to th potctiv ol of pats ad cas. Th issus may th tak a log tim to solv if tust is ivolvd. I additio, th mdia ca popagat outag wh th public is ivolvd. Ufotuatly, th pofssioal IAQ commuity has ot b giv a oppotuity to ducat th mdia o th maigfulss of IAQ issus ad scop. Hc, a cosidabl amout of axity has b gatd o, fo xampl, lgiolla ad asbstos, whilst th mo psistt volatil ogaic compoud (VOC), paticulat ad micobial issus a glctd o mispotd. Th td ow ad fo th futu is to icopoat idoo viomtal issus ad cotol ito th ol ad scop of total ogaisatioal isk assssmt ad isk maagmt. This has alady occud i th aa of coolig tow ad lgiolla maagmt i most stats. Th most ct lgislatio i Victoia quis th assssmt of coolig tows to b i th fom of th Austalia Stadad 4360 fo isk assssmt ad maagmt. It is ot sufficit to attd oly to th tchical issus associatd with IAQ. Commuicatio ad cosultatio is quid as wll as gula viws with all stakholds. Aft a suvy is complt, th sultat pot should b ppad so it ca b ad ad udstood by th occupats of th buildig. Idally th pot should b pstd to th occupats ad oth stakholds so that all patis ca claly udstad th maagmt issus ad wok towads a joit solutio. Th dict pstatio is also a oppotuity to gaug th sidual lvl of occupat coc with spct to th idoo viomt ad oth associatd issus. Tchical Rsach Dictios Th most ct IAQ tchical vt has b th Nith Itatioal Cofc o Idoo Ai Quality ad Climat, Idoo Ai 2002 at Moty, Califoia (13). Th play lctus xamid th followig topics: Coctio btw paticls, odoous filts ad asal pugcy thsholds. Likags btw outdoo ad idoo ai quality. Dvlopmt of idoo ai policis. Comfot Rsach. Micobs. Asthma ad idoo ai. Eviomtal sustaiability ad IAQ. 10

4 Risk assssmt of disas fom IAQ. Th w a lag umb of paps pstd at th Nith Itatioal Cofc, ad a vy lag mphasis o bioaosols, but th td is towads fomalisd isk assssmt ad maagmt. Child's halth is also civig mo atttio. Th gal catgois of th paps pstd w as follows: Bioaosols Spcial idoo viomts. IAQ suvys Asthma ad spiatoy halth Outdoo pollutat impacts o IAQ Halth ffcts o adults ad child Volatil ad smi-volatil ogaic compouds Vtilatio systms ad hygi missios ad claig Paticls ad dust Lif-cycl pspctiv; halth ad isk Emissios ad laboatoy ivstigatios Thmal comfot ad pcivd IAQ Istumts ad mthods Pollutat taspot ad mixig Novl ai distibutio Wold Bak symposium - IAQ ad halth i dvlopig coutis. Potctig Buildig Eviomts Physical potctio fom toist attacks has b a fatu of buildig dsig fo som tim, but ct vts hav mphasisd that d to icas scuity of IAQ systms. Sic Sptmb 11, 2001, th U.S. Dpatmt of Halth ad Huma Svics (14) has issud guidac ots fo potctig buildig viomts fom aibo chmical, biological o adiological attacks. This documt idtifis actios that th buildig ow o maag ca implmt without udu dlay to hac occupat potctio fom attacks. Aspcts such as pvtig accss to outdoo ai itaks, scu tu ai gills ad oof, HVAC cotol optios, upgadd filtatio, fast actig baffls ad mgcy policis a outlid. Th US Amy Cops of Egis (15) has also issud guidlis ad ths mid us that th a almost daily icidts ivolvig accidtal o dlibat cotamiatio of idoo ai. Figu 2: Souc - U.S. Dpatmt of Halth ad Huma Svics (14) Th followig potctiv masus i th guidlis (15) a pstd: high fficicy filts fo movig gass ad aosols fom makup ai ciculatig filt uits [idoo ai puifis] availabl commcially physical scuity ad ty scig masus achitctual ad mchaical dsig masus 11

5 potctiv actio plas covig shltig, vacuatio, pagig ad potctiv masks. Oth ogaisatios that hav poducd lvat ifomatio a as follows, icludig th U.S. EPA (16), which has listd a ag of guidac documtatio availabl o thi wbsit. Th ASHRAE Psidtial Study Goup o Halth ad Safty ud Extaodiay Icidts (17) has issud a isk maagmt guidac documt which discusss th lssos lad fom Sptmb 11, 2001 ad maks commdatios fo ows ad maags of xistig buildigs. Th U.S. EPA has futh lasd a wid ag of pogss paps o th Wold Tad Ct disast with spct to masumts, dust claig statgis ad halth ffcts. This is commdd adig fo thos who hav th appopiat sposibilitis. Coclusios Facility Maags hav taditioally b cocd with povidig supplid ai which is comfotabl ad f fom visibl dust. Howv, th icasd dmads of occupats, gulatos ad wold tds ow qui a total Risk Assssmt ad Maagmt appoach to idoo ai quality. This icluds, fo th halth of occupats, moitoig fo micobiological, paticulat ad chmical quality of th supplid ai. Th hightd awass of toist ad disuptiv activitis is also divig Facility Maags to dsig appopiat Risk Maagmt statgis ad th associatd quipmt modificatios. Ths tds a ulikly to b vsd. Rfcs: (1) Th Road Map to Pojct Excllc.T.Cow ad P.Bada, Popty Coucil of Austalia (2002) (2) Bst Pactic Pojct Dlivy fo Costuctio. Itatioal Quality ad Poductivity Ct, 3-4July 2002, Sydy. (3) Psychology:Th Fudamtals of Huma Adjustmt, Mu.N, Ch.14, Houghto Miffli. (4) Physiological Psychology: C.T. Moga, Ch.11, McGaw Hill Book Co. (5) Istat Calm, P.Wilso, Ch.6, Pgui Books Austalia, (6) Pac of Mid, I. Gawl Ch.2, Hill of Cott Publishig, (7) Stss: Cocptual ad Biological Aspcts.Toats, Joh Wily ad Sos, (8) Guidlis fo Ai Quality,Wold Halth Ogaisatio, Gva, 2000 (9) Euopa Halth Tagt:A Halthy ad Saf Physical Eviomt. Publicatio EUR/ICP/EHBI E65523,WHO, (10) Idoo Ai Quality. A Rpot o Halth Impacts ad Maagmt Optios, Dpatmt of Halth ad Agd Ca, Ju (11) Stat of Kowldg Rpot:Ai Toxics ad Idoo Ai Quality i Austalia. Eviomt Austalia, (12) Impovig Idoo Ai. Ecolibium -AIRAH Joual, pp.12-13,1,7, 2002 (13) Idoo Ai 2002, 9th Itatioal Cofc o Idoo Ai Quality ad Climat, Moty Califoia, Ju 30, Itatioal Socity fo Idoo Ai Quality. (14) Guidac fo Potctig Buildig Eviomts fom Aibo Chmical, Biological o Radiological Attacks. Dpatmt Of Halth ad Huma Svics, Cts fo Disas Cotol ad Pvtio ad Natioal Istitut fo Occupatioal Safty ad Halth, May (15) Potctig Buildigs ad thi Occupats fom Aibo Hazads, U.S. Amy Cops of Egis,Washigto, Octob (16) US EPA wbsit, URL - (17) Risk Maagmt Guidac fo Halth ad Safty ud Extaodiay Icidts, Rpot Ppad by th ASHRAE Psidtial Study Goup o Halth ad Safty ud Extaodiay Icidts, Jauay *About th Autho Th aticl is a updatd vsio of th pstatio mad by D Vyt Gays as th kyot addss to th AIRAH Idoo Ai Quality cofcs i August ad Sptmb Th autho D Vyt Gays has mo tha 30 yas of pofssioal, idpdt Risk Assssmt ad Maagmt xpic, spcialisig i both IAQ ad th Built Eviomt. Sic 1980 h has hld maagmt positios fo Amdl i South Austalia ad Victoia, bfo fomig his ow compay Ctc Pty. Ltd., i Ctc also wholly ows Foay Laboatois Pty. Ltd., a atioal advacd aalytical laboatoy wokig collaboativly with CSIRO ad mo ctly with th Uivsity of Sydy. D Gays is pstly chaima of Stadads Austalia Committ EV007-2 fo Idoo Ai Quality Masumt. This committ is dvlopig stadadisd mthodologis fo th masumt of IAQ. D Gays was also a mmb of th BOMA committ sposibl fo th iaugual guid to th Assssmt of Idoo Ai Quality i Buildigs i This guid was publishd by th Buildig Ows ad Maags Associatio (BOMA), ow kow as Th Popty Coucil of Austalia. D Gays is also th chaima of NATA s iogaic chmical committ. Povidig Comphsiv HVAC hygi svics ad solutios fo th built viomt. 5/24 Logstaff Road Bayswat 3153 Ph mail solutios@vioai.com.au wbsit: 12