Indoor Air Quality – IAQ

  • We spend up to 90% of our time indoors.
  • Indoor Air Quality is usually 2 to 5 times worse than Outdoor Air Quality.
  • Despite all the applied environmental and public health guidelines, air pollution continues to be among the 5 biggest environmental hazards for health.
  • 50% of our diseases are caused by exacerbated indoor air pollution.

To have the best possible Indoor Air Quality is fundamental for our health. Air pollution is the biggest cause of shortened lifetime in humans and unknown to many, indoor air usually contains more pollutants than outdoor air, due to many unhealthy substances generated indoors. Pollutants can also be originated in leaking ventilation systems.

  • We breathe about 25,000 litres of air per day
  • We eat about 1 kg of food per day
  • We drink about 2 kg of liquid per day

It is important that the quality of the air we breathe is as good as the quality of the water we drink and the food we eat.

Indoor pollutants consist in part of dust, pollen, VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), such as mould spores, ammonia, ozone and deposits from textiles. The indoors VOCs are generated from cooking, candles, building materials, textiles, paints, cleaning chemicals and perfumes, etc. There are several substances associated with symptoms of asthma, headaches, nausea and allergies, among them formaldehyde which is found in glue, certain sealing materials, building materials and some textiles.

There are studies showing that the concentration of some common air pollutants in indoor air is higher than the concentration of the same substances outdoors. The tiny particles, impossible to see with the naked eye, are the most dangerous to us as they enter our bodies when we breathe, continuing into the blood and other organs. The smallest particles include viruses, exhaust gases from traffic and combustion, tobacco smoke, asbestos and bacteria. Ultrafine particles enter the brain via the olfactory nerve and affect the brain function, inhibit the development of children’s brains and increase the risk of developing asthma, allergies and chronic diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer.

We at Colswe develop and offer our IAQ sensors and our services for measuring indoor air quality, as well as air purifiers, for all types of workplaces, such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, offices and industry. We also offer training courses to enhance the competence of technicians performing Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort measurements.

It is important and possible to minimise the particle content in indoor environments using efficient filters and air purifiers. Therefore, we rent high quality air purifiers with activated carbon filter, on a monthly basis. They remove contaminants such as dust and pollen, odours, viruses, mould spores, as well as microorganisms and other contaminants generated by building materials, people and clothing, among other sources. You get better indoor air quality immediately after starting. It is also possible to buy the air cleaner if preferred.