Complaints regarding indoor air quality are not new. The subject has been a vocal issue for more than 20 years.
Before that, over two hundred years ago (as related by Hodgson and Morey), Benjamin Franklin wrote about the smoky effects of a sealed room where a fireplace was located. During the 1920's and 1930's Yaglou and his colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health suggested 5-30 cubic feet of outside air per minute per person (cfm OA/person) as minimum levels for odor control in smoking and non-smoking areas. In those days, most indoor air contaminants originated from human activities (metabolic bioeffluents and smoking). These recommendations eventually contributed to the 1973 and 1981 ASHRAE standards for indoor air quality.
Dr. Jeff Burton, CIH, PE, CSP
The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have continued to update standards for acceptable indoor air quality over the years. ASHRAE developed the consensus standards used today by General Industry as design criteria in the construction of buildings or renovation of existing structures.
Currently, common practices rather than standards are being used in the prevention or mitigation of indoor air quality problems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers in an attempt to help deal with IAQ problems. Illinois State University Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management currently use the EPA Guide in handling air quality complaints.
At this writing, Illinois State University has no formal Indoor Air Quality program in place. Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management handle IAQ complaints on a case by case basis.
