1. The document discusses indoor air quality, noting it is an essential factor for human well-being and health that has been overlooked in some countries. 2. It provides data showing air pollution levels in Europe and highlights pollutants found in indoor air from sources like furniture, building materials, cleaning products, and humans. 3. The author notes the lack of systematic monitoring of indoor air quality in Latvia and calls for legal requirements and monitoring at the EU level to improve understanding and awareness of this important issue.

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Indoor air quality as essential factor
to promote human well-being and
health: ventilation, hygiene, behavior.
Indoor Environment Quality and Health - Evidence, best
practices, and lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis
Riga, 28.09.2021.
Assoc. Prof. Ivars Vanadziņš, Director at Institute of
Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Latvia

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Indoor air quality?
This has always been essential question, BUT,
sadly overlooked in some countries:
»Not linked with long term health effects;
»Causing huge economic costs;
COVID-19 has brought this issue into spotlight;
Still – insufficient understanding and information;
Unfortunately – not an simple problem!
+ Linkage to ambient (outside) air!
Some alarming data available…

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veselības institūts
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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Is air pollution really a problem?

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Data:
WHO, 2018

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
The Guardian, 2019

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Is this true?

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veselības institūts
Average PM10 concentrations in Europe (2018)
European Environmet Agency

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Average PM2.5 concentrations in Europe (2019)
European Environmet Agency

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Indoor air quality?
A rather broad issue and a «very inclusive»
one…
Basically determined by:
»Air quality related issues:
-Ventilation, air exchange;
-Materials used for construction;
»Other emissions:
-Furniture, installations, devices used etc.;
-Cleaning agents, food preparation etc.

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Indoor air quality – how to evaluate?
Several indexes available, like EPA etc.;
Includes typically:
» Indoor climate (toC, humidity, air flow and
exchange rate etc.);
» Air quality (outdoor air quality, emissions
within indoors, PM, odors, VOC etc.)
» Other qualities:
- Visual (e.g. lighting, view, day light etc.);
- Acoustic qualities etc.

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Indoor air quality - IAQ
Pollutants in indoor air:
»Chemicals from furniture, building materials;
»PM (smoking, candles, cleaning agents,
carpets etc.);
»CO, NO2 (humans, stoves, fireplace, heating
etc.);
»Mold, allergens, pollen;
»Radon, asbestos etc.
USA EPA IAQ: Defined for five major outdoor
pollutants: ozone; carbon monoxide; sulfur dioxide;
nitrogen dioxide; particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10)
Not so easy for indoor air!

14. 14
Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Widely used indicators?
CO2 as indicator for air quality!
»Also for aerosol concentration from exhaled breath;
Both for general air quality and COVID-19 risks;
Can be used as a proxy for volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) emitted by people;

15. 15
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What is the situation with indoor air
quality?
Very different level of data available in various
countries….
Latvia – lacking systematic monitoring
system….
Some ad hoc and random research data for
Latvia only…

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Monitoring of shopping areas by State
Construction Control Bureau of Latvia
 February 2021 (308 sites)

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veselības institūts
Monitoring of shopping areas by State
Construction Control Bureau of Latvia
 March/April 2021 (440 sites)

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Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Only some selected monitoring data
available:
»Education sector (WHO monitoring
program): good air quality in ~10% of
classes;
»Occupational environments: > 20 000
measurements: 60-80% of premises with
poor / insufficient ventilation
What is the situation with indoor air
quality in other buildings?

19. And some project data:
CO2 concentration
The concentration levels during week
day ranged from 434 to 750 ppm;
Average CO2 concentration
● In test floor was 554 ppm
● In control floor - 556 ppm
Was statistically significant
improvement (t=3.9332; p<0.001) on
test floor with biofiltration systems
Figure 2. Average CO2 levels in test floor and control floor during one week
in experiment period. It shows that CO2 levels are connected with working
hours and are lower in test floor

20. 20
Darba drošības un vides
veselības institūts
Conclusions?
Poor indoor air quality – huge short/long term
effects on health and economics!
In many countries level of understating of this
problem still too low;
COID-19 – worked as eye opener, lets just
hope that these activities will last longer;
Legal requirements and monitoring essential
apart from awareness and information –
preferably at EU level.