Evidence directly tying the indoor environment to states of health or disease continues to emerge. The relationship between indoor air quality (IAQ) and a wide range of disorders such as infections, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and even cancer is becoming increasingly clear.
Why is this connection coming into focus now? Perhaps it’s because computerized health records allow more comprehensive analysis of disease trends, or HVAC monitoring systems preserve records of IAQ patterns in commercial buildings. Another new set of tools that have dramatically expanded our understanding of the effect of the built environment on our health is the rapid gene sequencing techniques known as metagenomics. These tools have revealed large, diverse, and dynamic communities of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities, known as our microbiomes, are our intimate partners and govern almost every aspect of our health. They also respond to conditions in their environment, which is often the same building occupied by humans.