COVID-19 outbreaks have clarified, without a doubt, the essential role of the indoor environment. The pandemic has brought forth the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) and its role in influencing the transmission of airborne viruses. In addition to viruses, humans are also powerfully affected by IAQ. We know thermal conditions, indoor gases, and particles can either support or undermine our immune systems, skin function, cognitive abilities, and overall sense of well-being. Given these known relationships between IAQ and health, why does the real estate industry continue to focus almost exclusively on the health impact of outdoor air pollution?
The relationship between occupant health and IAQ is undeniably complex. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of medical research that clearly ties good IAQ to healthy, more productive occupants. Advances in monitoring technologies allow us to collect data, which, with proper analysis, can show the real-time impact of IAQ on human physiology in all occupied spaces. Despite these resources, there is still tremendous hesitation to monitor and report real-time IAQ data that relates to human health and productivity.