When it comes to air pollution, many people think of outdoor air contaminants. However, indoor air contaminants can be just as harmful, if not more. From smoke, mold, and chemicals, to vapors from paints and cleaners, there are many types of substances that can pose a risk to the respiratory health of you and your employees.
In addition, infectious diseases including COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and measles are all communicable through the air and spread more quickly in indoor environments.
While most buildings don’t have a severe air quality problem, every building is at risk. This article discusses common air pollutants and how you can start prioritizing cleaner air in your facility today.
Types of Air Pollutants
Whether you run a manufacturing plant, food processing operation, auto-repair shop, beauty salon, pharmaceutical lab, or other business, so many occupations and industries require the use of harsh chemicals. Without proper ventilation, concentrations of harmful air pollutants can pose a risk to your employees’ health. Even if the work you do doesn’t involve hazardous chemicals, there could be other pollutants such as mold, lead, or asbestos lurking behind your walls. Here’s a list of the most common air offenders to watch out for.
- Vapors from equipment, construction materials, or from building furniture.
- Vapors from things people do such as smoke, cook, burn solid fuels, or clean.
- Biological contaminants such as viruses, allergens, and mold.
- Asbestos—which is a human carcinogen—is found in old building materials.
- Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. It’s found in fumes when you burn fuel in cars/trucks, fireplaces, grills, lanterns, small engines, etc. Proper ventilation is crucial to avoid accumulation of the gas.
- Lead found in older buildings, gasoline, paint, batteries, plumbing pipes, ceramics, and more.
- Pesticides formulated to kill insects or unwanted plants.
- Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is emitted as a result of decaying radioactive elements in soil.
How to Clean Up Your Business’s Air
Taking the necessary steps to improve your business’s air quality may be overwhelming at first. Where do you even begin? Thankfully, we’ll break it all down here and provide you with some simple tips you can begin implementing today.
Participate in the "Clean Air in Buildings Challenge"
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a set of guidelines, recommendations, and resources for building owners and operators on how to reduce the spread of viruses and airborne contaminants indoors. Named the "Clean Air in Buildings Challenge," the key actions include creating a clean indoor air action plan, optimizing fresh air ventilation, and implementing an air filtration and cleaning system. Next, we’ll explore each one of these key actions in more detail.
Create Your Business’s Clean Indoor Air Action Plan
A clean indoor air action plan starts with understanding your HVAC system and mapping out how clean outdoor air is brought into your building. You’ll need to work with an HVAC professional to assess the current health of your air quality and inspect your current systems on how well they provide ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning. Make sure all of your carbon dioxide monitors are in working order and replace them if needed. Document when your systems need to be serviced by an HVAC professional and any immediate improvements that need to be made.
Optimize Fresh Air Ventilation
Circulating fresh outdoor air into your facility is critical to maintaining high-quality indoor air. Here are some pointers.
- Test your outdoor air quality to make sure it’s clean before bringing it into your building. Make sure your filtration systems are working properly.
- Use economizers to supplement mechanical cooling with fresh air. They’re an efficient and cost-effective way to increase the amount of fresh air that enters your facility.
- When your facility is occupied, run HVAC systems to ensure clean air enters and is distributed throughout the building.
- Make sure the exhaust fans in your restrooms are “on” during occupied hours and that they are working properly.
Implement an Air Filtration System
Your HVAC system can also operate as an air filtration system. Here are some tips.
- Install the correct size of MERV-13 air filters or the highest-rated MERV filters your HVAC system is compatible with. Make sure there are no gaps around your air filters so that only filtered air passes through.
- If needed, use portable air cleaners in areas where air filtration is not sufficient. Select a machine that is suited for the size of the space and certified by Energy Star.
The upkeep of your business’s indoor air quality is an ongoing effort and a necessary initiative to ensure the respiratory health of your employees. Zoro has a full assortment of HVAC supplies to help get you on your way to better air quality.
Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.