A presentation to help Floridians understand, improve and maintain their indoor air quality and the indoor environmental challenges in Florida. Presented by John Lapotaire, CIEC. Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS

3. 1 Introduction
2 What is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?
3 Particulates
4 Humidity
5 IAQ Related Illnesses
6 Filtration
7 House Keeping
8 Summary & Review
9 Questions
10 Thank You

4. Understand
Improve
Maintain
Your
IAQ

5. 2 WHAT IS

6. • IAQ: Indoor Air Quality refers to the
quality of the air in the indoor
environment.
• This may also be referred to as Indoor
Environmental Quality (IEQ).

7. • Good IAQ is the quality of air which has no
unwanted gasses or particles in it at
concentrations which will adversely affect
someone.
• Poor IAQ occurs when gases or particles
are present at an excessive concentration
so as to affect the satisfaction or health of
occupants.

8. Acceptable indoor air is defined by ASHRAE:
• “Air in which there are no known
contaminants at harmful concentrations and
which a substantial majority (usually 80%)
of the people exposed do not express
dissatisfaction”
-ASHRAE 62-1999

9. www.FloridaIAQ.com 9 OF 85

10. • Types Of Indoor Air Pollutants
• The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) places air pollutants into
three general categories:
1. Particulates
2. Bioaerosols
3. Volatile Organic Compounds

11. • Particulates
• Common indoor air particulates include
dirt, dust, fibers, tobacco smoke particles
and fireplace or wood stove soot. Airborne
particles can range from 0.1 microns in
size to 100 microns in size;

12. • Bioaerosols
• Bioaerosols are microorganisms or
particles, gases, vapors, or fragments of
biological origin (i.e., alive or released from
a living organism) that are in the air.
Bioaerosols are everywhere in the
environment.

13. • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
• are a carbon-based chemicals that easily
evaporate at room temperature.
• Some VOC's have odors other VOC's have
none.
• Odor does not indicate the level of risk.
• There are thousands of different VOC's
produced and used in our daily lives.

14. 3 PARTICULATES

15. • PARTICULATE: a state of matter in which
solid or liquid substances exist in the form
of aggregated molecules or
particles. Airborne particulate matter is
typically in the size range of 0.01 to 100
micrometers (µm).

16. • TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATE: the
mass of particulates suspended in a unit of
volume of air when collected by a high
volume sampler.
• TSP refers to all particles in the
atmosphere. TSP was the first indicator
used to represent suspended particles in
the ambient air.

17. • PARTICULATE MATTER: a suspension of
fine solid or liquid particles in air, such as
dust, fog, fume, mist, smoke, or
sprays. Particulate matter suspended in
air is commonly known as an aerosol.

18. • RESPIRABLE PARTICLES: particles that
penetrate into and are deposited in the
non-ciliated portion of the lung. Particles
greater than 10 micrometers aerodynamic
diameter are not respirable. Peak
deposition of respirable particles occurs
within the size range of 0.2 to 5
micrometers (µm).

19. • MICROGRAM (µg): one microgram is
equal to one thousandth (1/1,000) of a
milligram or one millionth (1/1,000,000) of
a gram
• MICROMETER (µm): one micrometer is
equal to one thousandth (1/1,000) of a
millimeter or one millionth (1/1,000,000) of
a meter

21. Contaminates Come From Inside and Outside
• Bacteria • Fungal spores
• Viruses • Pollen
• Insect feces • Tobacco smoke
• Insect body parts • Combustible appliances
• Cat and dog dander • Asbestos fibers

22. Contaminates Come From Inside and Outside
• Cleaning • House Plants
• Candles • Humidifiers
• Incense • Computers
• Refrigerators • Printers
• Perfume • Those cute little desk
top water fountains

24. Particulate Matter - Air Quality Index (AQI)
and Health Concerns
• An AQI of 100 for PM2.5 corresponds to a
PM2.5 level of 40 micrograms per cubic
meter (averaged over 24 hours).
• An AQI of 100 for PM10 corresponds to a
PM10 level of 150 micrograms per cubic
meter (averaged over 24 hours).

26. • Particulate matter may be generated by natural
processes, pollen, bacteria, viruses, mold, yea
st, soil from erosion) or through human
activities.
• The smaller and lighter a particle is, the longer
it stay’s in the air. Particles greater than 10
micrometers in diameter tend to settle to the
ground in a matter of hours whereas the
smallest particles less than 1 micrometer can
stay in the air for weeks

27. 2.5

28. • The effects of inhaling particulate’s have
been widely studied and include
asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular
issues, and premature death.
• The size of the particle is a main determinant
of where in the respiratory tract the particle
will come to rest when inhaled. Fine
Particles can penetrate the deepest part of
the lungs.

29. Fraction Size range
PM10 (thoracic fraction) <=10μm
PM2.5 (respirable fraction) <=2.5μm
PM1 <=1μm
Ultrafine (UFP or UP) <=0.1μm
PM10-PM2.5 (coarse fraction) 2.5μm - 10μm

31. VOC’s
Dust Particulate
Mites
Sources
Mold
Pollen Particulates
Spores
Smoke Cooking

32. 4 HUMIDITY

34. DUST MITES & BACTERIA –
• Excessive Humidity Encourages Dust
Mites, Dust Mite Allergen
Production, Bacterial and Insect Hazards
Indoors
• High indoor humidity can encourage more
issues than indoor mold.
• The same moisture conditions that support
growth of problematic indoor molds also
encourage the development of bacterial
hazards, dust mite populations, mite fecal
allergen problem, and possibly other insect
problems in buildings.

35. • The same measures of humidity control to
prevent mold growth are needed to
discourage the dust mite population that
exists in all living areas.
• Choosing and maintaining the proper
humidity level to avoid indoor mold will
also work to minimize the level of dust
mites and dust mite allergens

37. 5 IAQ Illnesses

38. • MCS: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is an
unexplained condition where a person
reports sensitivities and adverse reactions
to low levels of chemicals.

39. • BRI: Building-Related Illness: This term is
used when symptoms of a disease from
several occupants of a building can be
directly linked to specific airborne
contaminants in that building. This differs
from SBS because with SBS no specific
illness or cause can be identified.

40. • SICK BUILDING: a building whose
occupants complain of health and comfort
problems that can be related to working or
being in a building

41. • HUMIDIFIER FEVER: ("Ventilation Fever")
a respiratory illness caused by exposure to
toxins from microorganisms found in wet
or moist areas in humidifiers and air-
conditioners.

42. • HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS: a
group of respiratory diseases, including
humidifier fever that involves inflammation
of the lungs. Most forms of
hypersensitivity pneumonitis are caused
by the inhalation of organic
dusts, including molds.

43. 6 FILTRATION

44. • There are many filters available on the
market today.
• The most common are the one inch filters
found in supermarkets, hardware stores
and home supply retailers. All these filters
guarantee a percentage of
effectiveness, but that can be misleading.

45. • Each time the HVAC fan cycles air into the
home, armies of potentially harmful
spores, along with other allergens and
pollutants, can be propelled through the
supply ducts and spewed throughout your
home into the air your family breathes.

46. Type 1 Type 1 Type 2 Type 3

47. 1. Standard throwaway filters: Designed to
protect the air handler only. No capability of
collecting fine particles.
2. These filters are designed to protect the air
handler and do a fair to poor job at that.
3. Most are made of fiberglass and provide no
protection against fine or ultra-fine particles.

48. 2. Washable Filters: These filters are very
restrictive to airflow and are difficult to
clean thoroughly, especially if they have a
poly, sponge-like, inner filter.

49. • Electronic Air Cleaners: These air cleaners
are 95% efficient at .3 microns when new
or clean. They can reduce in efficiency
very quickly as they load and are difficult
to clean thoroughly and maintain.
• Many home owners do not take the time to
clean these on a regular basis, thus the
product rarely works at the efficiency that it
was designed for.

50. • Large 4 to 5 Inch Media Filters: These filters
have a large amount of filter surface to allow
for good air flow. They do a good job at
protecting the air handler and keeping it clean.
• They can collect a large amount of dust and
particles above one micron in size, but have
no capability of collecting particles and
allergens that measure below one micron.

51. Pleated Size MERV 8 - 11

52. • What Is MERV?
• The MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting
Value) rating of a filter describes the size
of the holes in the filter that allow air to
pass through. The higher the MERV
rating, the smaller the holes in the
filter, the higher the efficiency.

53. • MERV is an industry standard rating, so it
can be used to compare filters made by
different companies.
• Residential filters commonly have MERV
ratings of 1-11. The higher the MERV
rating, the more efficient the filter is, and
the more particles it can filter.

54. • A MERV rating of 6 means the filter is 35%
to 50% minimum efficient at capturing
particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
• A MERV rating of 7 means the filter is 50%
to 70% minimum efficient at capturing
particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
• A MERV rating of 8 means the filter is 70%
minimum efficient at capturing
particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
• A MERV rating of 11 means the filter is 85%
minimum efficient at capturing
particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.

56. • Another consideration is that a dirty filter
impedes the flow of air. This is called
"pressure drop". It is a double-edged
sword - the more effective a filter is at
grabbing the smaller particles, the sooner
it will clog up with these particles and
cause pressure drop.

57. • A Healthy HVAC System Means
Cleaner Indoor Air
• It’s estimated that more than 70% of all
indoor air quality problems involve the
HVAC systems. Dirt, dust and other
particulates can accumulate on system
components and in ductwork.

58. • “Bacteria, molds, pollen and viruses can
breed in stagnant water that has gradually
accumulated in ducts, humidifiers and
drain pans.”
• –Article appearing in Health Facilities
Management, June 1997

59. • Stand-alone room air cleaners cannot
possibly match the effectiveness and
efficiency of whole house systems.
• They simply do not move the large volume
of air required to remove indoor air
pollution. By using your existing forced-air
system, you can have measurably cleaner
indoor air.

60. 7 HOUSE KEEPING

61. 1970 1980 Barrel HEPA

62. • Few people think about their vacuum
cleaners as sources of air pollution in their
homes. How could something that makes
the carpet look clean be polluting the air?
• Yet frequently the air people breathe after
vacuuming is dirtier than it was before they
vacuumed!

63. • Many vacuum cleaners pick up the larger
particles of dirt so that the carpet looks
clean.
• But the smaller particles - are not retained
by the vacuum cleaner's filter.
• Instead, they are shot out in the exhaust
air, aggravating allergies and redistributing
dust, mold spores, lead dust, animal
dander, etc., throughout the home.

64. • These tiny particulates that are recycled float
around for hours before settling down.
Anyone in the room is breathing them in.
• Many carpets contain years of accumulated
recycled particulates. Carpets may contain
dust, mold spores, pollen, animal
dander, dust mites, pesticides, lead
dust, asbestos and fiberglass fibers, and
other pollutants.

65. • Many vacuum cleaners that sound as if
they have HEPA filters really don't.
• Read the ads closely. You will see words
such as "HEPA-like" or "removes 99.97%
of particles 5 micrometers in size."
• 5 micrometers is about 17 times as large
as 0.3 micrometers.

66. • In addition to having a good filter, it is
important for an allergy vacuum cleaner to
have a sealed unit. It does little good for
particulates to be stopped by a HEPA
filter, only to be exhausted through openings
in the vacuum housing.
• HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners are not
necessarily designed to be leak-proof.

68. • Dusting is just not fun. There is no other way
to say it, to control the Particulate buildup in
your home you have to collect and remove it
and that means dusting.
• Most people who dust use a simple feather
duster, or a cloth of some kind, and some
kind of dusting spray.

69. Heavy Dust
150 µm
Hair
50 - 70 µm

70. • Swiffer Dusters have thousands of fibers that
work to trap dust instead of spreading the
dust around like the traditional feather
duster. Dust clings to the fluffy fibers and
stays there.
• You must capture dust with a soft cloth
dampened with water or your favorite
multipurpose spray or furniture
polish, whichever is appropriate for the
surface.

71. 8 REVIEW

72. Advantages of Good IAQ for people already
suffering from allergies
• Reduction of the symptoms of an allergy
• Often reduction of medication intake possible
• More relaxing sleep

73. Good IAQ... can have the following effects in
young children:
• Prevention of allergies
• Delay of the occurrence of an allergy
• Reduction of the symptoms of an allergy

74. • Keep your home dry: Control humidity
levels between 35% and 50%.
• If you have a flood, take immediate action
and dry the area out, including all affected
furnishings, within 48 hours to prevent
mold growth.

75. • Maintenance is the key: Change your
HVAC filters every 30 days or as prescribed
by the Manufacturer.
• Check you’re A/C drain line every 3
months.
• Have your system serviced annually.

76. • Upgrade your air handler filter to pleated
or extended surface filters, which have a
medium- or high-efficiency rating.
• Change this filter at least every month or
two during periods of use. As a
minimum, air filters with a dust spot
efficiency of 30% are recommended.

77. • Clean the house frequently to collect &
remove particles from your home.
– especially if there are children or pets running
in and out of the house.
• Vacuum rugs and furniture with a vacuum
cleaner that has a HEPA air filter.

78. • Do not store paints, solvents or varnishes
inside your home;
• Have people use doormats and leave their
shoes by the door to help keep indoor
particle levels down.
• Control the source of irritants,
– which refers to chemicals that can be inhaled
• not people!.

79. 9 QUESTIONS