Indoor Air Quality, 3rd Edition

3

The Hypothesis

The objective of an investigator is to identify and solve indoor air quality complaints in a way that prevents a recurrence and does not create other problems. Although this may seem to be an overstatement of the obvious, poorly researched and executed investigations are doomed to recur.

In one situation, an investigator recommended increased fresh air intake. Health complaints from the occupants were reduced from 90 percent to 20 percent. Another investigator convinced the building management that the remaining 20 percent of complaints could be improved with a building “burn out.” The source of the complaints had never been identified, but the second investigator, without further investigation, recommended a procedure that had ...