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Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

5
  • How can Poor Indoor Air Quality be Prevented?
  • How can IAQ be improved with ventilation?
  • How can IAQ be improved with air filters?
  • Can humidity levels improve IAQ?
  • Can IAQ be improved with plants?

Outdoor Air Quality (OAQ)

4
  • How do weather conditions impact air quality?
  • Is OAQ better or worse than indoor air quality?
  • How do ventilation and air filtration systems help IAQ in relation to outdoor air?
  • How does OAQ impact the health of people indoors?

Health

3
  • Who is at high risk for developing health problems from poor IAQ?
  • What diseases are caused by or made worse by poor IAQ?
  • How does indoor air pollution affect human health?

Pollutants

4
  • Overview: the most common types of pollutants
  • Gaseous and Chemical Pollutants
  • Biological and Particulate Matter
  • Radiation Pollutants

Standards

4
  • EPA’s recommended guidelines for maximum levels of indoor air pollutants
  • What are the challenges in implementing and enforcing air quality standards?
  • Who sets air quality standards?
  • Who regulates indoor air quality in the US and how do they do it?

Methods and Testing

3
  • How is indoor air quality tested?
  • How often should air quality be tested in buildings?
  • How much does testing cost?

Definitions

1
  • Indoor Air Quality Definitions
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Can IAQ be improved with plants?

< 1 min read

The short answer is: probably not. Despite many sources claiming plants are good for indoor air quality, the science doesn’t really support this. While they do remove pollution from the air, certain conditions need to be in place for them to work. The plants would have to be a tightly sealed (i.e. no air flow) room. Since increasing air flow is one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality, having no air flow is not recommended. Finally, the number of plants that would be needed for any given room would have to be so many that there would be little room left for people or their things.

In fact, when not properly cared for, plants can impact indoor quality. Watering a plant too much can cause mold growth, harming indoor air quality.

Considering the positive effect of just seeing some greenery, houseplants can still be included without impacting indoor air quality. Make sure that the plants get proper lighting and watering. Many houseplants prefer shade and low light conditions, so not having access to sunlight is not a barrier to having plants.

Can humidity levels improve IAQ?
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