IAQ Profiles to Combat Disease Transmission

Research has shown that air quality and COVID-19 together with other viruses and communicable diseases are correlated. A big point of concern when talking about IAQ is that indoor air is usually 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air and most persons spend the majority of their time indoors. An adult person breathes about 22,000 times a day consuming more than 30 pounds of air molecules per day.

Group A: Virus Promoting Factors

Temperature- 66 to 75 F:
According to research by Casanova Lisa, et al., published in the American Society of Microbiology, the infectious rate of viruses is significantly reduced at moderate room temperatures compared to colder temperatures < 39 F. At warmer temperatrures > 86 F, transmission of the virus is blocked or becomes highly inefficient.

Relative Humidity – 40 – 60%
In an environment with RH% lower than 40%, droplets from a cough or sneeze lose their moisture quickly resulting in droplets becoming “dry aerosols” and capable of staying in the air for longer time periods creating a viral cloud that remains infectious for much loner time periods. Virus particles are most inactive at 50% humidity and retain their infectiveness the further from that median average, plateauing at 20% and 80%. 50% RH is the most ideal in terms of fast virus inactivation.

PM 2.5 – 15 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter)
Particle Matter also known as “particle pollution” is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. PM at 2.5 microns in size or smaller will be inhaled deeply into the lungs and can cause irritation and corrosion of the alveolar wall which impairs lung function. They are also known to carry microbiomes, a microbe that stay alive and protects us against germs and diseases, as well as aids in digestion of foods.

A study conducted by Feng, Cindy et al published in the Journal of Environmental Health showed an increase in vulnerability to influenza-type illnesses when levels of PM2.5 were above the ideal range. The study suggests that these PM2.5 stay airborne longer, creating a “condensation nuclei” which virus droplets attach to. This becomes part of the viral cloud that gets inhaled by people increasing the risk of infection.

Common sources of PM 2.5 are smoking, candles, cooking, space heaters, furnaces, poorly maintained HVAC systems and poorly ventilated fireplaces.

Carbon Dioxide Co2 – < 800 ppm
Co2 has long been used as an indicator of good indoor air quality primarily because of its association with ventilation. When Carbon dioxide levels are high, it may indicate that your spaces are not well ventilated or there is an untypical source present for the production of this gas.

Chronic inflammation caused by persistent high Co2 levels is not ideal for our health, moreover longer exposure to high Co2 can cause fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. It is also possible to develop hypercapnia acidosis, characterized by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood that will suppress the human immune system and make on more susceptible to disease. Some typical causes of Co2 indoors are heavy population of people, improperly ventilated spaces, improperly maintained combustion devices and exposure to high output of car and diesel fuel burning exhaust.

Nitrogen Dioxide- NO2- below 53 ppb
High levels of Nitrogen Dioxide indoors is a result of outdoor NO2 entering your indoor air environment as well as combustion sources inside the space. A study by the Environmental Research Journal, short -term exposure can irritate airways while long-term exposure can lead to chronic illness and respiratory infections with viruses. Asthmatics may also experience longer symptomatic periods and increased need for medication for children.
Examples of sources of NO2 are automobiles from an attached garage and busy urban streets, appliance with defective installations, gas stoves, kerosene heaters, chimneys etc.

Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC)- OSHA PEL of .75ppm and an action level of 0.5 ppm. Levels between 0.3 to 0.5 mg/m3 are considered acceptable.
According to the US EPA VOC’s are emitted gases from certain solids or liquids. VOC’s include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long term adverse health effects. They can also react with other chemicals in the air and become more dangerous to human health. Exposure to VOCS over a 24-hour period can irritate the lungs causing nausea and making it difficult to breath. Long term exposure to harmful VOC’s over months can affect the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.

Group B: Infectious Disease Promoting Factors

How Air Pollution and IAQ affect mortality Rates
Long before COVID-19 arrived, air pollution and poor indoor air quality have been linked to higher rates of illness and mortality. SARS Coronavirus research has found evidence that the virus is frequently spread in the air.

Ke Lan, an expert virologist from Wuhan University, hypothesized that these tiny airborne droplets can cause coronavirus infections. Scientists from the Department of Community and family medicine in Hong Kong found evidence supporting this also. According to Harvard University, the same trend holds true. Their study looked at the data from years 2000 to 2016 and found that long term exposure to airborne particulate matter results in an increase in COVID-19 death rates, based upon their updated data of April 24,2020 suggesting that even an increase of 1 ug/m3 of 2.5 PM can increase the likelihood of mortality by 11%.

AIAQS will provide real time testing and measurement of the 8 most critical environmental factors and contaminants and develop a Virus/Disease Reference Index. From these findings, a cost-effective corrective action plan will be developed.

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