United States. There's some confusion about the costs and benefits of improving indoor air quality — even among building designers, engineers, managers, landlords and tenants — according to a study by researchers at Drexel University.
The analysis indicates that there are some serious misperceptions about how much it would cost to improve indoor air and how much it actually helps.
Participants in the survey were a group of 112 construction members, including designers, consultants, building owners, construction managers, and tenants. The survey presented two basic ideas for improving indoor air quality: increasing ventilation and using better air filters.
Despite research establishing the benefits of these improvements, among each category of participants, most respondents were unsure whether the proposed changes would have much effect on productivity, absenteeism, and health. And the majority of building tenants surveyed thought it was unlikely that the owner of their building would reinstall such upgrades. The survey also revealed a revealing misperception about the overall cost of making these improvements.
Informal interviews with building managers indicate that keeping heating and cooling systems running often consumes much of their time and effort, while keeping in mind how to improve air quality is just an afterthought.
However, education and incentives to change the perception of indoor air quality may also lag behind. The researchers suggest that linking more air quality goals to sustainability metrics used to assess buildings could be a step toward greater adoption of these methods.
They also suggest that some improvements and monitoring might be appropriate for individual residences.
