New research suggests that the greatest pollutants of office air are humans, who unwittingly carry and disperse unhealthful volatile compounds by wearing deodorant — and even by breathing.
How do humans negatively affect office air quality?
There is a lot of concern about the negative effects of air pollution on health.
Exposure to polluted air can contribute to the development of cancer, lung disease, and even heart disease.
Generally speaking, however, when we think of air pollution, we think primarily of the air we breathe when out on the streets of metropolitan areas.
Yet in the United States and elsewhere in the world, people often spend as many as 40 hours per week at work, and many individuals likely spend much — if not most — of that time in an office environment.
Thus, the quality of office air can be just as instrumental in predicting whether or not individuals continue to experience good health. How can we tell if office air quality is adequate, and what are the greatest pollutants of office air?
These are the questions that researchers from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, addressed in a recent study. The investigators will expand on their findings at the 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research Conference that will take place in Portland, OR, on October 14–18, 2019.
“If we want to provide better air quality for office workers to improve their productivity, it is important to first understand what’s in the air and what factors influence the emissions and removal of pollutants.
“The chemistry of indoor air is dynamic. It changes throughout the day based on outdoor conditions, how the ventilation system operates, and occupancy patterns in the office,” Boor explains.
To find out exactly what affects office air quality and how humans may contribute to indoor air pollution, Boor and colleagues set up a complex sensor system in the shared office spaces at the Living Labs at Purdue University’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories.
The researchers even added temperature sensors to desk chairs to find out exactly when they were occupied and how human presence may affect air quality in an indoor environment. They also used a highly specialized device called a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer.
Boor explains that the device acts like a “highly sophisticated nose” that is able to establish the presence of tiny particles, or volatile compounds, that can be unhealthful in ambient air.
