Client: Real Estate Management Company
Project: Indoor Air Quality Analysis
Location: New Jersey
Description: The purpose of the indoor air quality (IAQ) investigation was to identify the suspected sources and associated indoor air quality conditions in regards to health symptoms (i.e. dry cough, sinus infection) and concerns raised by office personnel. This was a follow up to the indoor air sampling conducted previously by EWMA to investigate potential intrusion of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) inside the building from ground water intrusion. The results of EWMA’s sampling indicated that no target VOCs were detected inside the building.
A meeting was conducted, information was exchanged on such topics as the employee complaints and possible sources, preventive maintenance program for the building’s ventilation system, building ventilation exchange rate values and specifications, interior structure renovations, pest control applications, pest control types and frequency, cleaning service types and frequency.
Based on the visual walkthrough inspection of the complainant work areas, there appeared to be no visual evidence of any source that would cause the health symptoms noted. The current heating ventilation and air conditioner (HVAC) system and cooling tower appear to be operating and maintained according to standard practices and procedures regarding indoor air quality conditions.
Indoor and ambient measurements were taken for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, relative humidity and temperature at twelve (12) indoor locations throughout the building. These measurements were taken to determine the comfort level of the complaint area compared to the compared to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) standards.
EWMA demonstrated that the building appeared to provide a safe and thermally comfortable office environment to its occupants during the survey visit day. There did not appear to be any source of contaminants or pollutants in the facility that could pose a health risk to the building occupants. The existing HVAC preventive maintenance program and related services were determined to be adequate to prevent or remediate any IAQ problems that could be caused by daily occupancy and operations in the building. EWMA recommended that another IAQ survey be conducted at the building during a different time of the year to see if the IAQ survey results varied depending upon weather conditions and other seasonal factors.