We spend a huge part of our time dedicated to work or leisure in buildings, so it’s not surprising that every effort is made to make the environment in which people reside as comfortable as possible. An important aspect of the environment that guarantees the well-being and health of facility users is the (often unjustly neglected) air quality of the building in which we reside. This can be a service room or company headquarters but also apartments and private homes.
Why is air quality being studied?
Pomiary zanieczyszczeń powietrza są niezbędne, by sprawdzić, czy składniki smogu, które są niebezpieczne dla zdrowia, przenikają do budynku. Pomaga to również skontrolować działanie filtrów wentylacji. Przebywanie w miejscach, w których jest wysoki poziom pyłów zawieszonych PM10 i PM2,5 może przyczynić się do problemów z układem oddechowo-krążeniowym. Szkodliwe substancje dostają się do krwioobiegu, długotrwale kumulowane mogą prowadzić do nowotworów.
Sprawdzane są również wewnętrzne źródła zanieczyszczeń powietrza, które mogą emitować niebezpieczne lotne związki organiczne. Krótkotrwałe skutki ekspozycji na LZO wywołuje podrażnienie śluzówek oczu, nosa i gardła, ból głowy, zawroty, nudności i wymioty, nasilenie objawów astmatycznych. Dłuższe przebywanie w skażonym miejscu może prowadzić do chorób nowotworowych, uszkodzenia wątroby i nerek, problemów z ośrodkowym układem nerwowym.
How is the air quality study conducted?
Specjaliści TERMOCENT zajmują się profesjonalnym badaniem jakości powietrza. Po otrzymaniu zlecenia ustalane są warunki techniczne. Pomiary zanieczyszczenia powietrza polegają na tym, że kontrolowany jest poziom:
- temperatury,
- wilgotności,
- dwutlenku węgla,
- tlenku węgla,
- pyłu PM10 i PM2,5,
- LZO i formaldehydu.
Sprawdzany jest również stan i wydajność wentylacji, przeprowadzane są badania mikrobiologiczne (mykologiczne).
Indoor air quality testing – what do we test?
A basic air quality test performed with a meter determines parameters such asCO2 concentration, CO, humidity and temperature. Undoubtedly, it is worthwhile to know at what level these indicators are in the rooms in use. Elevated concentrations ofCO2 (carbon dioxide) may indicate inadequate ventilation or the loading of the space with too many people in relation to the area. This is a particularly important factor especially in rooms with many people – offices, schools or service spaces. IncreasedCO2 concentrations can cause feelings of drowsiness and fatigue, as well as weakness and a decrease in concentration and productivity. So it is undoubtedly worth taking care to make sure thatCO2 concentration is maintained at the right level.
Humidity is another parameter, the control of which allows you to protect yourself from undesirable consequences. Dry and insufficiently humidified air reduces the comfort of the premises, makes it difficult to breathe, dries out the mucous membranes, and is particularly troublesome for young children. It should also be noted that excessive moisture, on the other hand, promotes the growth of mold and fungi, contributing to biological air pollution.
Many of the aforementioned problems can occur simultaneously, and their accumulation can sometimes be very troublesome. Generally known is the concept of “Sick Building Syndrome,” manifested by a variety of symptoms among people who use a place together.
It’s worth performing basic air quality tests even before the negative effects are felt, especially since the meter test is quick and non-invasive. Due to the small size of the device, it can be used in virtually any problematic location, which will certainly allow you to quickly take the necessary action.
Jak rozpoznać chory budynek (sick building syndrome)?
Deficiencies in the design of the ventilation system, the use of construction or finishing materials that emit large amounts of organic compounds, and outdoor air pollutants entering the interior are just some of the factors that reduce air quality. Undoubtedly, taking care of what we breathe is neither a fad nor an unnecessary luxury – studies show a link between our health and air quality. Sometimes even small actions can positively affect the microatmosphere around us. However, the first step before implementing an appropriate solution must be to diagnose the problem.
Ask for more:
Call 530 105 398 or email kontakt@termocent.com
Who studies air quality?
TERMOCENT’s experienced measurement team performs professional air testing in buildings. A thorough analysis also includes the use of current data on the state of the air in Poland. This information is obtained through the activities of state research centers with special stations located in the area.
Ways to study air quality
Wykorzystujemy m.in. technikę pomiarów automatycznych ciągłych, manualnych ciągłych i cyklicznych, pomiary powietrza wskaźnikowe pasywne, obiektywne szacowanie, czy modelowanie matematyczne. Doświadczeni pracownicy dysponują specjalistycznym sprzętem jak m.in. miernik wielogazowy czy pyłomierz, a także dużą wiedzą z zakresu wykonywanych działań. Stosowane są rozmaite metody adekwatne do potrzeb. Niektóre pomiary mogą być dokonane na miejscu, część próbek z powietrzem i gazami odlotowymi trafia do laboratorium.
Air quality testing – laboratory methods
When very high accuracy is required, laboratory techniques for determining air pollutants can be used. The content of substances such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone can be measured quickly with meters, but when very high precision is needed, they are determined using gas chromatography methods in an accredited testing laboratory.
Samples are collected on a solid sorbent using a sorbent tube, the type and size of which depends on the type of substance to be determined, and then transported to the laboratory. Liquid chromatography, on the other hand, can be used to determine formaldehyde with high accuracy.
The air quality studies performed are in accordance with the guidelines for the functional-utility program according to the Decree of the Minister of Infrastructure on the detailed scope and form of project documentation, technical specifications and the functional-utility program in terms of data on atmospheric pollution for air protection analysis, reports, opinions and expert opinions on air quality in the context of environmental protection.
Domowe sposoby badania powietrza
Inadequate air quality in a building can be sensed by the occupants of the building and manifest itself in ill health. Self-checking for contamination is possible with a vacuum cleaner and a cotton swab. All you need to do is put the cotton swab to the pipe, secure the makeshift structure with duct tape to make it airtight and prevent the elements from being drawn in when the machine is started. Then turn on the equipment for a few minutes. After this time, it is enough to look at the swab – the impurities visible on it give confidence that the condition of the air is bad. To know the specific results, it is necessary to have a professional study of air quality, which gives assurance of reliable data and during which you gain knowledge of what measures to implement to improve the situation.
Ask for more:
Call 530 105 398 or email kontakt@termocent.com
TERMOCENT Branches:
Warsaw | Wroclaw | Krakow | Gdansk | Lodz | Katowice | Lublin | Poznan | Torun | Szczecin
Air quality testing – protection against smog?
No one needs to be reminded of the harmfulness of smog. It is even difficult to forget about it, especially during the heating season, when the problem of so-called low emissions becomes a favorite topic of many news outlets. The popularization of boards showing what the state of the air is like and apps warning of critical levels of pollution make more and more people think about how to protect themselves from smog.
Particularly notorious are PM10 and PM2.5, fine particles of solid and liquid substances dispersed in the atmosphere. Dangerous because of their aggravation of cardiopulmonary symptoms and irritating effects, they are very troublesome for asthmatics, and also have carcinogenic effects. PM2.5 dust additionally, due to its small size, penetrates through the alveoli into the bloodstream.
Testing the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 will help answer the question of whether harmful smog components are infiltrating into the facility, as well as whether the filters in the ventilation system are working properly. Our proposed pollen meter measurement allows you to quickly determine PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at selected locations.
For air quality, read also: SMOG ALSO DANGEROUS IN BUILDINGS
Minimizing external pollution is unfortunately not enough. It is often forgotten that every building also has internal sources of air pollution, sometimes quite non-obvious ones. In this connection, it is worth mentioning volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a wide group of various easily volatilized substances. VOCs can act as irritants and reveal themselves through unpleasant olfactory sensations, and some of them are also carcinogenic. These compounds are a difficult to avoid product of various industrial processes, so we are exposed to them virtually constantly. Sources of VOCs are widespread in most buildings, and include paints, varnishes, plastics, adhesives, wood products, carpeting, thermal and acoustic insulation. These materials can emit VOCs even long after production.
Performing a basic test with a multi-gas meter will help assess whether VOC and formaldehyde levels are too high. If excessive levels of VOCs are found in the air, it is worth considering the use of substitutes, i.e. products that emit fewer pollutants, for example, with a recommendation from the Polish Society of Allergology or EU Ecolabel certification.
Jakość powietrza jest istotna w certyfikacji BREEAM
The issue of air quality is an issue that is also important for investors seeking to confirm the high quality of a building with a BREEAM certificate. The BREEAM multi-criteria building certification system is one of the most popular methods of assessing buildings in terms of their environmental impact. In terms of air quality, points can be received for meeting the requirements in the Health and Wellbeing category. This category focuses on providing a comfortable and health-friendly environment for building occupants. The Hea 02 Indoor air quality guidelines contained in this category deal with minimizing sources of air pollution through design, as well as planning carried out with due care.
Our measurements of volatile organic compounds ( VOCs, TVOCs – total volatile organic compunds) and formaldehyde are in accordance with BREEAM 2016 Hea 02 guidelines and also allow us to confirm that the acceptable level of VOC emissions from construction and finishing materials is not exceeded.
Czy potrzebuję wykonać pomiary Lotnych Związków Organicznych?
1 Any building material is allowed to be used inside a building only with properly functioning ventilation. During the first few days or even weeks, a period of organic compound and odor emission is observed, which is easily recognizable as the “smell of newness.” During this time, special care should be taken to ensure continuous ventilation by permanently unsealing windows in the case of natural(gravity) ventilation or increased efficiency of mechanical ventilation (recuperation).
2 If you experience odor-related discomfort or any other undesirable effect after the installation of new materials, which can be linked to the time and place where the new materials were installed, you should first determine whether the ventilation is working properly. Throughout the year, ventilation levels can be assessed based on concentrations of CO2, among other things, where values above 1,500 PPM certainly confirm inadequate ventilation, and values between 1,000-1500 PPM indicate the need for minor ventilation improvements – but specialized meters are needed for these measurements. Inadequate ventilation is easily identified in the winter by frequent or permanent window fogging at the lower corners of the connection between the glazing package and the window sash frame profile. If the steaming persists around the clock, let alone weeks, it is very likely that the ventilation is not efficient enough for the needs. We recommend in such a situation to improve ventilation according to the instructions in point 1.
(3) If, despite improvements in ventilation, there is still discomfort related to air quality, it is recommended to make specialized measurements of concentrations of, among others, formaldehyde and total VOCs with real-time meters, and possibly measure the concentrations of the 80 most commonly checked VOC concentrations in selected rooms.
Ask for more:
Call 530 105 398 or email kontakt@termocent.com
