An array of environmental technologies are helping in the fight against air pollution. Thanks to the Paris Agreement, governments are now committed to widespread transport electrification and other decarbonization goals.
However, until recently, the business world has opted to invest elsewhere, spending vast sums of money on tutoring, computer equipment, software, and revamped office layouts in an effort to drive growth. What many fail to understand is that the air they breathe and the thermal levels in their homes and offices may be undermining these investments.
Air Quality and the Bottom Line
The side effects of poor air quality can have a severely detrimental effect on a company’s bottom line. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that in the US, poor air quality results in $150 billion of illness-related costs annually. Over $90 billion of that total represents lost productivity from headaches, irritation, and fatigue.
Is it a coincidence that countries with the cleanest air in the world IQAir’s World Air Quality Report highlights Norway, Sweden, Finland, and New Zealand, among others) also register among the highest for GDP per capita and worker productivity?
For many organizations, air quality and the basic factors of thermal comfort are mere afterthoughts — when they should be regarded as cornerstones of wellness and economic success.
Now is the time for business owners to take a closer look.
Public Health Risk
It is well understood today that air pollution is shortening lives worldwide. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has described it as ‘the new tobacco.’ The UN estimates that 90% of the world’s population is at risk, with 600,000 children dying prematurely each year from polluted air.
Known as the ‘silent killer,’ fine particulate matter in the PM2.5 size range (meaning the particles are two and one-half microns or less in width) can find its way deep into the respiratory tract and the lungs.
Studies show that long-term exposure brings elevated rates of chronic bronchitis, impaired lung function, and higher mortality rates from lung cancer and heart disease.
Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) suggests that ambient PM2.5 pollution is associated with a population-weighted mean decline in worldwide life expectancy of just over a year. Researchers found that if PM2.5 in all countries satisfied the WHO’s Air Quality Guideline (10 μg m–3), life expectancy could rise by a population-weighted median of 0.6 years — an achievement similar in magnitude to that of eradicating breast and lung cancer.
Coming to Terms with Poor Indoor Air Quality
Scientists have established that air pollutants such as PM2.5 can impact indoor environments. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that airborne pollutants are up to five times higher indoors than outdoors. However, few studies have examined the effects of poor ventilation on health, including that of indoor exposure to PM2.5 on the cognitive productivity of employees.
A double-blind study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that employees working in an adequately ventilated space (with low levels of pollutants) had double the cognitive function of those working in offices with average readings of exactly the same pollutants. After taking action to clean indoor air, employers have reported workplace productivity increases of over 10%.
In September this year, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released its findings from another office air quality test. Researchers found that increased concentrations of PM2.5 and lower ventilation rates were associated with delayed reaction times and reduced accuracy in cognitive testing. They noted slower cognitive function at concentrations of PM2.5 and carbon dioxide that are commonly found in indoor environments.
A study in Porter Ranch, California, provides more evidence of ambient air filtration helping to improve cognitive performance. Following a gas leak, every school within five miles installed air filters in all classrooms, common areas, and offices.
Schools had conducted academic testing before the leak, giving a baseline for the study. After the air filter installation and subsequent exams, student test scores improved dramatically. Areas outside the five-mile radius saw no change in scores, while students in the air-filtered schools maintained their higher scores.
Designing for Clean Air
With thoughtful design and simple, cost-effective use of technology, it is possible to greatly improve indoor air quality — enabling employees to adjust their thermal comfort, while reducing emissions and even lowering utility costs.
Passive features (like operable windows, high ceilings, desk fans, healthy materials, thermal mass or radiant heat, insulated envelope, and external shading), can play a big role in improving indoor health without requiring a substantial outlay.
Studies on carbon uptake and air pollution mitigation can be simply applied to the indoor environment. For example, a NASA study emphasized the air-cleaning capacity of around 30 different indoor plants, including Dracaena, Spathiphyllum, and a range of palm trees.
As the modern office becomes more sophisticated and core-dominated, active systems are likely to see greater uptake — with further incorporation of information technology and sensors to fine-tune the indoor environment for personal control.
An investment in clean air can pay dividends well into the future.
Want to know more about the low-tech, low-cost devices that you can install today?
Want to know more about the low-tech, low-cost devices that you can install today?
