About Indoor Air Programs

Traditionally, Industrial Hygiene focuses on protecting employees from hazards (potential sources of harm) in the workplace by assessing chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic risks.    

There is still a great deal of need for traditional IH practicing in manufacturing facilities, but as workplaces evolved, the types of hazards have also changed.   Additionally, with both lifestyle changes and advancement in building technology over the last several decades, the need for identify and evaluate hazards in the indoor environment is more important.    

At rest, the average person breathes in more than 8,000 L of air per day.  The respiratory tract is the only organ system with vital functional elements in constant, direct contact-with the environment.  The lung also has the largest exposed surface area of any organ.  The surface size of lungs is thought to be 95 m².   In comparison, the skin is 2 m² and digestive system is 10 m².   Clearly, from an exposure perspective, the air we are exposed to and breathe will impact our health.  

The inhalation of hazards and indoor air quality is not a new concept.   What is emerging is the technology in which we can identify and/or quantify hazards and the numerous attempts to define what is a “healthy” indoor air quality.   With indoor air quality outside of industrial type settings, the commonly identified hazards often do not have exposure guidelines.    Mold, a common indoor air hazard, has no exposure guidelines and there is some level of mold in every indoor environment.    The determination of what “amount” of mold is acceptable, thus, becomes merely an opinion.   A simple internet search for mold will provide an entertaining number and variety of opinions.  

Indoor Air Programs is not a generalized Industrial Hygiene practice.   Indoor Air Programs specializes in indoor air quality.  Specialization provides more experience, skills, and knowledge.  Application of skills, knowledge and experience in a professional and ethical manner provides a logical professional judgment in lieu of an opinion.  

Indoor Air Program’s mission is to protect and enhance human health by improving indoor air quality.        

Human health, like indoor air quality, also has no definition of “good” human health.  It is also opinion based.  The opinion that is relevant is the individual’s.  Thus, a primary objective of Indoor Air Programs is to understand the goals of indoor air quality in reference to human health for each client.    This is a fundamental factor in providing the most appropriate service and associated costs for each client.