Health pollution

Measurement shows: poor air quality in many offices

Poor air quality in offices is not only harmful to health, but also to productivity(Bild: Dragana Gordic - stock.adobe.com)

In many domestic companies, too little attention is paid to the influence of the quality, temperature, humidity and circulation of indoor air in the office. This is shown by a comprehensive measurement. Negative effects affect both productivity and the health and well-being of employees. 

In the meantime, the smoking problem and the risk of infection with the coronavirus via aerosols have reached the minds of employers, at least to a certain extent. On the other hand, issues such as low humidity, vapors from office furniture or emissions from printers, PCs or laptops are still not given sufficient consideration.

From around mid-April to mid-June 2024, as part of the "PrimaBüroKlima" initiative in collaboration with the MeineRaumluft.at platform and the Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation (OETI), extensive room measurements were carried out in a number of domestic offices and employees were asked about symptoms. The results are sobering.

• The ideal indoor humidity level is generally given as 40 to 60 percent. However, a quarter of the offices surveyed had too low a level of humidity. This not only promotes eye irritation (office eye syndrome) and respiratory problems. During the cold season, dry mucous membranes in the nose and bronchial tubes represent a poor protective barrier against pathogens. In addition, at low humidity levels, the particles (aerosols) emitted by infected people can spread further into the room and are more likely to be inhaled by healthy people.
• In 15 percent of offices, conspicuous concentrations of volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were detected, which are sometimes harmful to health and cause headaches and concentration problems. These substances can escape from furnishings (office furniture, carpets), but can also be released into the air through hygiene products (perfume, air fresheners, cleaning agents). 
• The WHO limit values for particulate matter were only exceeded in one case. Open or poorly sealed windows and residues on clothing allow fine dust particles to enter the office space from outside and accumulate there. Specific sources of particulate matter such as printers, photocopiers, tobacco smoke etc. sometimes exacerbate the problem.
• Of the employees surveyed, 72 percent stated that they experienced or suffered from symptoms such as poor concentration, tiredness, headaches, irritation of the eyes or respiratory tract, dry eyes, etc. 

To improve the indoor air in the office and minimize or reduce pollutants, you should regularly open the window and provide fresh air. Certain plants such as hemp or green lilies also have an air-purifying effect by absorbing harmful substances. Many conventional cleaning agents contain VOCs, which are released and can affect air quality. Therefore, look for environmentally friendly products (low-emission or VOC-free) and ventilate well after cleaning!