OVERVIEW:

What is Indoor Air Quality?

Good indoor air quality is a vital component of a healthy indoor environment.  A healthy indoor environment is described by the Environmental Protection Agency as one in which the surroundings contribute to productivity, comfort, and a sense of health and well being.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as "a state of complete, physical, mental and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Impacts of Indoor Air Quality in Society

Currently, many national and regional instances have occurred where improper consultation on IAQ matters, coupled with poor judgement or lack of concern for human health and the environment ended in litigation resulting in penalties with fines and awards levied.  In many cases this casts a negative light on industries related to consulting, insurance and contractors affiliated with HVAC, Remediation and Design.

A lesson an Indoor Environmentalist (IE) should learn from this "case law" is that professional judgement based on fact should also take into account the nature of the situation and provide solutions that assist the responsible individual(s) in making the best decision for all parties involved.  This varies obviously from case to case.  If the most stringent standards and guidelines as well as regulations are adhered to, the IE should remain in a good legal position.  Coupled with these statements, it must now also be clearly understood that the Real Estate Industry has been a major contributor to the litigation process.  By this I mean, many Brokers and Agents have knowingly and willfully covered-up known or suspected environmental hazardous situations.  They've put the seller's and buyer's "Quality of Health" in a lesser priority and placed their Commissions as top priority... at all costs!  For more on this issue, see our webpage on Do you have to Disclose an Environmental Hazard?

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME (SBS)

A phenomenon which began during the 1970s, numerous complaints of symptoms related to office environments were reported to local, state and federal agencies.  The prevalence of SBS is unknown however, it has been estimated that 20% of office workers report lost productivity as a result of inadequate air quality.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted many investigations into this "alleged" condition.  It is to be noted that these symptoms tend to develop over days to months.

In these investigations 19% of the cases found contamination from an indoor source, 11% of fabrics were found as a contaminant in 4% of the cases with 50% finding no contamination at all.

Be advised that buildings do not get "sick," people do, and many other factors come into play to determine whether it is a result of occupation within a facility.  Common symptoms of SBS include the following:

• Headaches

• Eye, nose and throat irritation

• Fatigue

• Dizziness

• All without an identified cause

BUILDING RELATED ILLNESS (BRI)

Is an extremely inclusive phrase defining building-associated health problems.  BRI includes 'any' health problem (regardless of precise cause) relative to the indoor environment.  It usually includes illnesses that resulted from exposure to air where symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified.

building associated illnesses are in relation to etiologic agents known to be clinically or epidemiologically associated with buildings and may include the following:

• Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)

• Carbon Monoxide or carbon dioxide

• Allergic or infectious agents

• Chemical agents

• Particulate matter

Residential

Almost certainly a result of the 1970s energy crisis, new residential homes are made more "air-tight."  This poses certain indoor air quality problems related to ventilation and the lack of make-up air.  Improper construction or design results in water leaks or excessive moisture build-up in areas of the country where air-conditioning is used extensively.  A homeowner who does not adequately remediate storm damage leaves moisture pathways that create suitable environments for microbial growth and as a result, indoor air quality issues arise in residences in all parts of the country (worldwide with other factors considered).

Acknowledgement:  The creator, author and copyright owner of the following material in The Healthy Home Kit, a book, is Ingrid M. Ritchie.  This is perhaps the best basic resource material that we have reviewed.  If you are concerned by Indoor Air Quality, this professional book is one of the best books to purchase. 

Here is the purchase information: Healthy Home Kit  Written by Ingrid Ritchie, PhD and Stephen J. Martin, ISBN 0-7931-0898-5

Environmental Concerns and Real Estate

Perhaps no contemporary issue elicits stronger emotions from property owners than finding unexpected environmental hazards that diminish the enjoyment and use of the property, affect their family's health or cause financial hardship.  Every consumer should be aware of these hazards and the potential financial and legal difficulties that can arise from owning a property that has such a hazard.  In many instances these hazards do not cause financial ruin or irreversible health effects.  Even so, the costs of correcting the problems caused by someone else can be significant, even devastating.  consumers can protect themselves by becoming knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities before problems arise.

How Do Environmental Hazards Affect Property Values?

Who Should Pay for Fixing a Property with an Environmental Hazard--the Buyer or the Seller?

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