Building Air Quality: A Free Comprehensive Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers

Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers

The Building Air Quality, developed by the EPA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, provides practical suggestions on preventing, identifying, and resolving indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in public and commercial buildings. This guidance provides information on factors affecting indoor air quality; describes how to develop an IAQ profile of building conditions and create an IAQ management plan; describes investigative strategies to identify causes of IAQ problems; and provides criteria for assessing alternative mitigation strategies, determining whether a problem has been resolved, and deciding whether to consult outside technical specialists. Other topics included in the guide are key problem causing factors; air quality sampling; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; moisture problems; and additional sources of information. The order form is available from IAQ INFO via EPA Document Reference Number 402-F-91-102 , December 1991.

The text of Building Air Quality is available here as a series of PDF files which you can download and view or print. You can go to the table of contents and select just the form or section that you need to download and view/print, or you can download the entire PDF version of the guide as a ZIPPED file to view/print. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files and you will need a utility to unzip the file, both are provided here.

building air quality guide

CONTENTS
Forward

Note to Building Owners and Facility Managers
Acknowledgements

TAB I: Basics

Section 1: About this Document
Section 2: Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality
Sources of Indoor Air Contaminants; HVAC System Design and Operation; Pollutant Pathways and Driving Forces; Building Occupants
Section 3: Effective Communication
Communicating to Prevent IAQ Problems; Communicating to Resolve IAQ Problems

TAB II: Preventing IAQ Problems

Section 4: Developing an IAQ Profile
Skills Required to Create an IAQ Profile; Steps in an IAQ Profile
Section 5: Managing Buildings for Good IAQ
Developing an IAQ Management Plan

TAB III: Resolving IAQ Problems

Section 6: Diagnosing IAQ Problems
Overview: Conducting an IAQ Investigation; Initial Walkthrough; Collecting Additional Information; Collecting Information About Occupant Complaints; Using the Occupant Data; Collecting Information about the HVAC System; Using the HVAC System Data; Collecting Information about Pollutant Pathways and Driving Forces; Using Pollutant Pathway Data; Collecting Information on Pollutant Sources; Using Pollutant Source Data; Sampling Air for Contaminants and Indicators; Complaints Due to Conditions Other Than Poor Air Quality; Forming and Testing Hypotheses
Section 7: Mitigating IAQ Problems
Background: Controlling Indoor Air Problems; Sample Problems and Solutions; Judging Proposed Mitigation Designs and Their Successes
Section 8: Hiring Professional Assistance to Solve an IAQ Problem

Make Sure That Their Approach Fits Your Needs; Selection Criteria

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TAB IV: Appendices

Appendix A: Common IAQ Measurements - A General Guide
Overview of Sampling Devices; Simple Ventilation/Comfort Indications; Air Contaminant Concentrations
Appendix B: HVAC Systems and Indoor Air Quality
Background; Types of HVAC Systems; Basic Components of an HVAC System; ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines
Appendix C: Moisture, Mold and Mildew
Background on Relative Humidity, Vapor Pressure, and Condensation; Taking Steps to Reduce Moisture; Identifying and Correcting Common Problems from Mold and Mildew
Appendix D: Asbestos
EPA and NIOSH Positions on Asbestos; Programs for Managing Asbestos In-Place; Where to Go for Additional Information
Appendix E: Radon
Building Measurement, Diagnosis and Remediation; Where to Go for Additional Information
Appendix F: Glossary and Acronyms
Appendix G: Resources
Federal Agencies with Major IAQ Responsibilities; Other Federal Agencies with Indoor Air Responsibilities; State and Local Agencies; Private Sector Contacts; Publications; Training

TAB V: Indoor Air Quality FORMS

IAQ Management Checklist
Pollutant Pathway Record for IAQ Profiles
Zone/Room Record
Ventilation Worksheet
Indoor Air Quality Complaint Form
Incident Log
Occupant Interview
Occupant Diary
Log of Activities and System Operation
HVAC Checklist - Short Form
HVAC Checklist - Long Form
Pollutant Pathway Form for Investigations
Pollutant and Source Inventory
Chemical Inventory
Hypothesis Form

All Forms in one PDF file

INDEX

Download the PDF file of the entire Building Air Quality Guide PDFs (2.78MB file)

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