Office Indoor Air Problems

Pollutant Sources

Since 1994, Ellis has responded to hundreds of indoor air quality complaints.  In order of frequency, identified sources are listed below:

1.  Carbon dioxide buildup.  Particularly in a crowded office or other environment, the buildup of carbon dioxide, a constituent of human breath, will eventually lead to complaints of itchy, watery eyes, itchy skin, and other allergy-type symptoms. Even at concentrations of one percent carbon dioxide can lead to drowsiness and decreased productivity. Increasing the amount of fresh air into the space typically solves the problem - see below.

2.  Poor ventilation.  Whether as a result of cost-cutting maintenance deferral, staffing cuts or ignorance, it is not uncommon for a building's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to fall into a state of neglect.  All ventilation systems include an air filtering system at their intake point.  If these filters are not inspected and changed frequently, fresh air is curtailed, and complaints rise. In any IAQ investigation, Ellis will always ask to inspect the HVAC system serving the area of complaint.

3. Ultra fine particles (UFPs). UFPs are those particles measuring less than 0.1 micron in diameter.  In any given sample of air, UFPs constitute the greatest number of particles, yet make up only a small fraction of the mass. They can come from a wide variety of sources, including laser printers, fax machines, photocopiers, cleaning and chemical agents, smoking areas, leaks in boilers and furnaces, vehicle emissions and outdoor pollutant sources. High UFP concentrations are frequently correlated with air quality complaints. Ellis will inspect potential sources of UFPs to help identify the source of an air quality complaint and recomend administrative controls to help eliminate the complaint.

4. Volitile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs comprise a number of chemicals with high vapor pressures (evaporate into the air easily). Many are carcinogens and can cause allergy like symptoms. They can be off gassed by newly installed paint, carpet, and furnishings and also produced by office equipment such as copy machines. In fact, that familiar "new car smell" is the results of newly manufactured plastics and adhesives offgassing VOCs. Ellis can sample for a wide array of VOCs and compare findings with regulatory limits. As the odor threshold for most VOCs are far below exposure limits, we can determine if a chemical smell from new installations represents an actual hazard.