Risk Management & Safety Department – Health & Safety

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Background

Indoor air quality (IAQ) or building-associated illnesses/complaints have become increasingly common over past 20 years. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted over 1500 IAQ Health Hazard Evaluations in indoor environments since 1971. The number of these HHE requests has increased 2000% from 1978 to 1993. Researchers in other countries have noted similar increases. The University has seen a comparable increase. The problem affects an estimated 20 - 30% of non-industrial buildings.

Building-associated illnesses/complaints can be categorized as:

Acute:

Odor-related illnesses/complaints

Chronic:

Building-related illnesses (BRIs)
Non-specific symptoms (building-related symptoms or sick-building syndrome or SBS)

Odor-Related Illness/Complaints or "Out-of-Place Odors"

Odor-related illness/complaints or "out-of-place odors" can occur with or without symptoms (e.g., Irritation, aggravated asthma, headache, nausea) and are caused by exposure to air pollutants (gases, vapors, dusts) generated inside the building or transported into the building. The majority of these complaints at the UA are caused by: contractor, maintenance and laboratory and other occupant activities, mechanical system design deficiencies, and dry sewer traps. However, because of their transient nature, many times the cause is unknown. Please see: How to prevent sewer odors (poster in PDF format).

Undertaking Construction or Remodeling Activities? Here are some things to think about before you start (PDF format).

Building-related illnesses (BRIs)

Building-related illnesses (BRIs) are diagnosable illnesses with a known cause. Sometimes they can be serious and occasionally life threatening. Examples include legionnaire's disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, carbon monoxide poisoning. They can be caused by exposure in buildings to: infectious organisms, allergic or toxic biologic materials and toxic chemicals. BRI can occur because of deficiencies in: design, operation or maintenance of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, structural defects, and interior surface problems.

Non-Specific Symptoms or Building-Related Symptoms or Sick-Building Syndrome (SBS)

Non-specific symptoms or building-related symptoms or sick-building syndrome (SBS) include:

Irritation (eyes, nose, throat)
Dry mucous membranes and skin
Headache and fatigue
Hoarseness of voice and wheezing
Nausea and dizziness
Respiratory infections and cough

SBS Features:

Less, well defined health problems
Generally, non-diagnosable illnesses
Symptoms get better when away from the building
Unknown cause (thought to be physical, chemical or microbiological agents which is aggravated by poor ventilation)
High baseline of prevalence rates for many symptoms in office buildings (15 - 40%)
Increased prevalence in problem buildings
Measurable symptoms often correlate with complaints
Appears to be a number of consistently associated, significant environmental risk factors
In many cases, reported and measurable symptoms improve when risk factors are eliminated
Most problem buildings have multiple risk factors present

The most significant risk factors appear to be:

Lack of maintenance of HVAC systems
Poor design and mismanaged operation of HVAC systems
Indoor pollutant sources
Facility disrepair
Poor housekeeping

Floods, Roof Leaks, Sewage Backflows, Utility Pipe Failures etc. (i.e, water infiltration into buildings) - Here are some things to know should they occur (PDF format).

I Suspect I Have, an Indoor Air Quality Problem. Where Do I Start?

For acute conditions like out-of-place odors, call Risk Management & Safety (RM&S) at 621-1790. For all other IAQ complaints, contact RM&S also, either by phone or through e-mail: risk@email.arizona.edu. RM&S coordinates the University's indoor air quality efforts through Facilities Management's Indoor Air Quality Task Force.