User:Pursuitofrhythm/Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is a term used to describe the conditions of any indoor space and how it relates to those who occupy it. Indoor environmental quality encompasses various factors such as indoor air quality, acoustics, lighting, aesthetics, and safety, among others. Building and facility managers, homeowners, and building occupants generally try to improve IEQ to help increase the satisfaction and productivity of those within the building.

Many people equate indoor environmental quality with indoor air quality. However, it is important to distinguish the two; indoor air quality is only one of many components that contribute to the overall indoor environmental quality.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Indoor air quality is an important factor of IEQ, as it has a great impact on the well-being of building occupants. Buildings with poor IAQ can have a serious impact on the health of people within the building. In the short term, symptoms of asthma and other respiratory diseases can show up due to air pollution within a building. In the long term, exposure to pollutants can contribute to an increased risk of respiratory diseases, heart diseases, or possibly cancer. In a large office study, it was shown that there was a 35% decrease in short-term absences when the ventilation rate was doubled.

IAQ can be improved through the upgrading of a building’s HVAC system. This can not only help remove common air pollutants through increased ventilation, but can also help increase the satisfaction of the building occupants/residents by improving the thermal conditions of the building.