This brochure is one of a series on human resources practices and workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities edited by Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University ILR School.It was updated in 2010 by Nellie Brown, M.S., CIH, Statewide Director, Workplace Health and Safety Program, Cornell University ILR School, from her original, which she wrote in 1994 and first updated in 2002

Brown, Nellie J

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 1A D V A N C I N G 	 T H E 	 W O R L D 	 O F 	 W O R K w w w . h r t i p s . o r g
What Are The Typical Symptoms Of Poor Indoor Air Quality?  
•	 irritations	of	eyes,	nose,	and	throat	
•	 dry	mucous	membranes	and	skin
•	 erythema	(reddening	or	flushing	of	the	skin);	rashes
•	 mental	fatigue,	headache,	and	sleepiness
•	 airway	infections,	cough
•	 hoarseness,	wheezing
•	 nausea,	dizziness
•	 unspecific	hypersensitivity	reactions
Exposure	to	poor	air	quality	may	not	result	in	a	rapid,	acute	onset	of	symptoms;	
instead,	there	may	be	slow,	subtle	effects.		The	symptoms	are	often	subjective,	
and	other	problems	or	stressors	(including	heat	stress)	may	aggravate	the	prob-
lem.		Some	individuals	may	be	particularly	sensitive.		Since	people	exposed	to	
poor	indoor	air	quality	frequently	experience	subjective	symptoms,	they	are	of-
ten	viewed	as	over-emotional	or	simply	complainers	–	so	it	is	important	to	place	
this	problem	on	a	scientific	basis	so	as	to	be	able	to	take	a	more	constructive,	
problem	solving	approach.
Causes of Poor Indoor 
Air Quality and What 
You Can Do About It
2 	 Causes	of	Poor	Indoor	Air	Quality	and	What	You	Can	Do	About	It
What Is Poor Indoor Air Quality? 
Science	has	shown	that	the	quality	of	air	with-
in	buildings	is,	at	times,	worse	than	the	quality	
of	outdoor	air.		Indoor	air	quality	problems,	
believed	to	be	related	to	contaminants	concen-
trated	within	buildings,	can	cause	symptoms	
and	illnesses	among	people	who	spend	time	
therein.		When	one	considers	the	number	of	
workers	in	offices,	banks,	school	buildings,	
restaurants,	hotels,	hospitals,	and	health	care	
institutions	in	the	United	States,	it	is	not	sur-
prising	to	learn	that	indoor	air	quality	impacts	
the	health	and	productivity	of	the	majority	of	
working	adults	and	the	vast	majority	of	work-
ing	women.	Moreover,	when	one	includes	
time	at	home	as	well	as	at	work,	people	spend	
approximately	90	percent	of	their	time	in-
doors.		
What Are The Causes Of Poor Indoor Air 
Quality? 
•	 inadequate	fresh	air	supply	and/or	poor	
ventilation	system	maintenance
•	 pollutants	given	off	by	building	or	furnish-
ing	materials
•	 pollutants	from	processes	occurring	within	
the	building,	including	cleaning	products,	
office	machines,	pesticides,	and	off	gases	
from	new	materials
•	 microorganisms	or	other	biological	con-
taminants,	or,
•	 contaminants	brought	into	the	building	
from	outside;	some	examples	are	exhausts	
from	sanitary	stacks,	boiler	stacks,	natural	
gas	vents,	or	flues.
When	building	ventilation	is	inadequate,	the	
resulting	low	air	exchange	rate	is	such	that	
there	is	insufficient	fresh	air	brought	into	the	
building	to	dilute	or	flush	out	contaminants	
and	they	can	become	concentrated	within	the	
building.		Improving	indoor	air	quality	does	
not	mean	that	the	indoor	air	must	become	
pristine	and	pure,	but	rather	that	building	oc-
cupants	should	not	be	subjected	to	air	quality	
that	is	significantly	worse	than	the	air	outside,	
especially	if	the	occupant	does	not	experience	
his/her	health	problem	when	exposed	to	out-
side	air	(and	so	long	as	the	outside	air	is	rea-
sonably	acceptable	by	USEPA	or	other	health	
standards).
How Do You Find Out If Your Building 
Has An Indoor Air Quality Problem? 
Gather	information	from	building	occupants.		
When	investigating	complaints	of	indoor	air	
quality,	it	is	important	to	determine	the	nature	
of	the	complaints	and	extent	of	the	problem.		
This	can	be	accomplished	by	surveying	the	
people	who	work,	live	in,	and	visit	the	build-
ing.		When	collecting	information:
•	 review	the	records	of	complaints;	if	there	
are	no	existing	records,	create	a	complaint	
log
•	 interview	the	occupants,	either	directly,	by	
the	use	of	a	questionnaire,	or	both	(obtain-
ing	medical	advice	and/or	actual	diagno-
ses	of	health	conditions	would	be	ideal),	
if	possible	and	with	the	necessary	privacy	
protection;	however,	the	typically	subjec-
tive	nature	of	IAQ	symptoms	may	make	
occupants’	reports	the	only	information	
available	
•	 avoid	asking	questions	that	might	be	un-
necessarily	intrusive	(for	example,	health	
or	medical	questions	concerning	reproduc-
tive	history	or	psychological	problems)
•	 ask	occupants	to	document	their	observa-
tions	in	an	occupant	diary	so	as	to	observe	
trends	or	intermittent	problems
Check	out	the	ventilation	system.		Find	out	
if	there	is	enough	fresh	air	being	brought	
into	the	building.		The	American	Society	of	
Heating,	Refrigerating	and	Air	Conditioning	
Engineers	(ASHRAE)	62.1-2007	recommends	
that	office	spaces	have	5	cubic	feet	per	min-
ute	(cfm)	per	person	of	outdoor	air	provided.	
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 3
There	are	similar	recommendations	for	schools	
and	other	building	types	and	usages.	Verify	
this	with	carbon	dioxide	measurements	dur-
ing	times	of	occupancy;	the	CO2	level	inside	
the	building	is	usually	higher	than	that	out-
side	the	building	since	people	exhale	CO2.	This	
makes	CO2	a	useful	surrogate	measure	of	air	
turnover.	Outside	there	is	about	300-500	ppm	
of	carbon	dioxide	(this	is	the	composition	of	
the	Earth’s	atmosphere).		Inside,	the	carbon	di-
oxide	should	be	no	more	than	700	ppm	higher	
than	the	outside	air	concentration.
Examine	the	intakes	and	exhausts	for	con-
tamination	and	cross	contamination;	verify	
this	with	carbon	monoxide	or	other	measure-
ments	as	appropriate.		For	any	monitoring	
performed,	measure	the	same	items	in	the	
outdoor	air	for	comparison	purposes.		Be	care-
ful	in	the	choice	of	method	used	so	as	to	obtain	
a	low	enough	detection	limit	as	to	be	able	to	
compare	indoor	air	with	outdoor	air.		Check	
out	the	heating,	ventilation,	and	air	condition-
ing	system's	performance	and	maintenance.		
Walk	through	the	building	and	look	for	signs	
of	leaks	and	water	damage.		Check	the	chemi-
cal	usage	in	the	building	and	look	for	potential	
sources	of	air	contaminants.		Make	any	correc-
tions	necessary	as	a	result	of	these	examina-
tions	and	then	re-survey	the	building	inhabit-
ants	to	see	if	conditions	have	improved	and	if	
any	problems	remain.	
Usually	these	steps	are	enough,	but	sometimes	
further	monitoring	is	needed.		If	the	correc-
tions	to	ventilation	or	contaminant	sources	do	
not	fix	the	problem	or	if	the	ventilation	system	
was	adequate,	it	may	become	necessary	to	
proceed	further	to	better	identify	the	specific	
contaminants	and	their	possible	sources,	such	
as:	microbial	monitoring	(with	identification	of	
the	bacteria	and	molds),	measurement	of	par-
ticulates	(with	identification	of	particles	and	
fibers),	or	chemical	analysis	for	air	contami-
nants	(such	as	formaldehyde,	ozone,	pesti-
cides,	or	volatile	solvents).		And,	as	above,	take	
outdoor	measurements	as	well	and	compare	
indoor	air	with	outdoor	air.	Keep	in	mind	that,	
as	IAQ	involves	non-industrial	workplaces,	it	
is	rare	to	find	that	the	concentration	of	air	con-
taminants	violates	OSHA	regulations	or	other	
groups’	recommendations	intended	to	address	
the	industrial	environment.		
Consider	whether	the	expense	of	this	ad-
ditional	monitoring	is	justified;	it	may	be	far	
more	cost	effective	to	remove	the	contaminant	
source	than	to	pay	for	the	testing.		Consider	
whether	these	additional	data	will	make	a	
difference	in	the	decision	to	fix	or	not	to	fix	a	
potential	problem.		If	you	are	going	to	fix	it	
anyway,	are	the	data	needed	to	confirm	that	
exposure	happened	or	are	the	data	a	waste	of	
the	funds	which	could	be	used	to	fix	the	prob-
lem?
	
Keep	building	occupants	informed.		Building	
occupants	should	be	kept	informed	during	the	
entire	process	of	investigation	and	mitigation,	
including:
•	 how	the	investigation	is	progressing,	the	
types	of	information	being	gathered,	and	
ways	that	they	can	help	the	process	along
•	 the	nature	of	the	health	problems	being	re-
ported;	this	enables	occupants	to	put	their	
symptoms	into	perspective
•	 how	long	the	investigation	is	expected	to		
last
•	 any	attempts	that	are	made	to	improve	
indoor	air	quality
•	 any	remaining	work	that	needs	to	be	done	
and	the	schedule	for	its	completion.	
If	the	above-described	investigation	indicates	
that	an	indoor	quality	problem	exists,	consult	
with	a	qualified	expert	who	can	make	ap-
propriate	recommendations	for	remediation.		
Such	an	expert	could	include	an	industrial	
4 	 Causes	of	Poor	Indoor	Air	Quality	and	What	You	Can	Do	About	It
hygienist,	a	ventilation	engineer	with	IAQ	ex-
perience,	a	HVAC	contractor	with	IAQ	experi-
ence,	a	safety	risk	manager	with	IAQ	experi-
ence,	or	other	similarly	qualified	consultant.
What Can You Do To Correct Poor 
Indoor Air Quality Problems? 
If	ventilation	is	inadequate,	increase	the	fresh	
air	supply	to	meet	the	recommendations	of	
Standard	62.1	2007	of	the	American	Society	of	
Heating,	Refrigerating	and	Air	Conditioning	
Engineers	(ASHRAE).		ASHRAE	recommen-
dations	are	well-respected	industry	standards	
and	often	incorporated	into	building	codes	
and	other	regulations.	This	industry	standard	
recommends	ventilation	needs	in	terms	of	the	
amount	of	cubic	feet	per	minute	per	person	of	
fresh	air	for	rooms	and	buildings	depending	
upon	their	usage.		For	office	space,	it	recom-
mends	5	cfm/person	of	outdoor	air.	Check	to	
make	sure	that	the	air	intakes	and	exhausts	for	
each	room	are	functioning.	For	some	spaces,	
ASHRAE	recommends	minimum	exhaust	
rates,	as	well.	Ventilation	adequacy	can	be	
verified	by	measuring	the	air	concentration	of	
carbon	dioxide	during	occupancy.
If	indoor	sources	are	the	problem,	choose	al-
ternative	products	or	eliminate	the	use	of	trou-
blesome	products.		Schedule	product	usage	
or	construction/remodeling	for	times	when	it	
will	have	the	least	impact	on	occupants;	con-
sider	changing	schedules	or	using	flextime	
or	time	off	for	sensitive	individuals	such	as	
those	who	are	pregnant,	those	with	allergies	
or	those	who	have	respiratory,	cardiovascu-
lar,	or	other	problems	that	the	exposure	could	
adversely	affect.		Provide	better	ventilation	or	
local	exhaust	ventilation	for	specific	contami-
nant	sources.		Ban	smoking	in	the	building	or	
provide	a	smoking	lounge	with	smoke	vented	
to	the	outside	away	from	any	air	intakes.	Your	
state,	county,	or	municipality	may	have	smok-
ing	prohibitions	for	your	building	or	work-
place.	Purchase	new	materials	or	furnishings	
with	low	emissions	(often	these	are	“green”	
alternatives).	New	materials	and	furnishings	
could	also	be	purchased	in	advance	and	stored	
where	they	can	be	allowed	to	offgas	before	
being	installed	in	their	new	locations.	Con-
sider	increased	ventilation	or	“baking	off”	for	
new	materials	or	remodeled	areas	to	speed	up	
the	offgassing	process.		Baking-off	involves	
heating	the	room,	wing,	or	building	(as	ap-
propriate)	to	about	80-85	Fahrenheit	for	about	
12	hours.		The	air	temperature	is	decreased	
as	low	as	possible	for	the	next	12	hours	while	
the	room	is	ventilated.		This	process	of	heating	
and	cooling	can	be	repeated	several	times.
	
If	outside	sources	are	the	problem,	separate	air	
intakes	from	exhausts	or	raise	exhausts	higher	
to	prevent	exhaust	air	from	being	drawn	back	
inside.	ASHRAE	62.1-2007	makes	recommen-
dations	for	minimum	separation	distances	
–	see	if	your	building	meets	these.		Prevent	ve-
hicles	from	idling	for	long	periods	of	time	near	
air	intakes;	some	states	or	cities	have	health	
or	environmental	regulations	which	forbid	
idling.		Separate	a	garage’s	part	of	the	ventila-
tion	system	from	that	servicing	the	rest	of	the	
building.	Verify	air	pressure	in	the	building	
relative	to	the	outside;	a	building	that	is	under	
negative	pressure	could	cause	drains,	sanitary	
stacks,	or	exhaust	vents	to	run	backwards.
If	biological	contamination	is	the	problem,	
make	sure	there	is	adequate	cleaning	and	
maintenance	of	air	intakes,	filters,	and	duct-
work.		Fix	leaks,	condensation,	and	standing	
water	in	the	building	or	the	ventilation	system.	
Send	the	condensation	from	coils	or	air	con-
ditioners	to	a	drain.		Discard	water	damaged	
items	and	those	with	porous	surfaces.		Disin-
fect	nonporous	materials.
If	building	fabric	is	the	problem,	baking-off	
may	help.		Check	insulation	to	verify	its	prop-
er	installation,	and	conduct	air	monitoring.
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 5
Reasonable Accomodation Under The 
ADA For Someone Who Needs Better 
Air Quality (Even After Corrections Are 
Done)
In	striving	to	make	the	indoor	environment	
not	significantly	different	from	the	outdoor	
environment,	the	building	air	quality	may	
reach	the	limit	of	what	is	feasible	for	a	whole	
building	performance	approach.		Despite	the	
best	efforts	to	improve	ventilation	and	remove	
sources	of	contaminants,	you	may	discover	
that	the	individuals	who	meet	the	definition	of	
disability	under	the	ADA	due	to,	for	example,	
very	sensitive	allergies,	a	suppressed	immune	
system,	or	an	environmental	illness	still	re-
quire	some	form	of	reasonable	accommoda-
tion	to	be	able	to	perform	their	job.		
The	ADA	defines	an	individual	with	a	disabili-
ty	as	someone	with	a	physical	or	mental	im-
pairment	that	substantially	limits	a	major	life	
activity.		Major	life	activities	include	actions	
such	as	caring	for	oneself,	walking,	talking,	
seeing,	breathing,	and	working.		In	determin-
ing	whether	an	impairment	is	substantially	
limiting,	ameliorative	measures	such	as	medi-
cations	are	not	considered.		In	other	words,	
an	employee	who	successfully	controls	the	
adverse	effects	of	exposure	to	poor	air	quality	
through	the	use	of	medications	could	never-
theless	qualify	as	disabled	if	the	effects	of	that	
exposure	in	their	unmitigated	state	substan-
tially	limit	his	or	her	breathing	or	other	major	
life	activity.
A	reasonable	accommodation	is	a	modifica-
tion	or	adjustment	to	a	job,	the	work	environ-
ment,	or	the	way	things	usually	are	done	that	
enables	a	qualified	individual	with	a	disability	
to	enjoy	an	equal	employment	opportunity.		
Employers	are	not	required	to	provide	any	
accommodation	if	it	would	impose	an	undue	
hardship	upon	that	employer’s	business.		
This	determination	of	what	constitutes	an	
undue	burden	can	vary	from	one	employer	to	
the	next,	depending	upon	the	size	of	the	em-
ployer’s	business,	its	financial	resources	and	
other	factors.
The	following	are	some	options	that	courts	
may	consider	reasonable:
(1)	Consider	removing	from	a	room	any	chem-
ical	challenges	by	stripping	the	room	of	
any	items	that	could	be	a	problem,	such	as	
carpeting	or	pressed	wood	products,	and	
provide	a	plain	floor,	a	metal	desk,	mini-
mal	use	of	solvent	based	products,	no	air	
fresheners,	no	pesticides,	no	fragrances,	
etc.
(2)	Consider	the	use	of	a	room-sized	air	clean-
ing	unit	having	a	carbon	filter	and	high	
efficiency	particulate	air	filter	(HEPA)	
capable	of	removing	the	problem	contami-
nants.		Be	sure	the	unit	is	large	enough	to	
handle	the	air	volume	needs	for	the	size	of	
the	room.
(3)	Consider	moving	the	person	to	a	differ-
ent	work	environment	such	as	a	different	
room,	wing,	or	building	that	has	not	had	
recent	remodeling	or	that	uses	a	different	
HVAC	system.
6 	 Causes	of	Poor	Indoor	Air	Quality	and	What	You	Can	Do	About	It
Resources 
ADA	Disability	and	Business	
Technical	Assistance	Center	Hotline			
800.949.4232
Equal	Employment	Opportunity	Commission,	
131	M	Street,	NE,	Washington,	DC	20507
800.669.4000	(voice);	800.669.6820	(TTY);	or		
800.669.3362	(publications)	or	800.669.3302	
(TTY)	
Your	local	Department	of	Health	at	the	state	or	
county	level.
USEPA,	Indoor	Air	Division,	Office	of	Air	
and	Radiation,	1200	Pennsylvania	Avenue,	
NW,	Mail	Code	6609	Washington,	DC	20460		
202.343.9370
http://www.epa.gov
EPA	has	a	collection	of	useful	publications,	
fact	sheets,	and	tools	that	can	be	accessed	at		
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/index.html
Indoor	Air	Quality	Scientific	Findings	
Resource	Bank,	an	interagency	project	of	the	
Lawrence	Berkeley	National	Laboratory	and	
the	USEPA.	
http://eetd.lbl.gov/ied/sfrb/
USDHHS		NIOSH,	Division	of	Surveillance,	
Hazard	Evaluations	and	Field	Studies,		
395	E.	Street,	SW,	Suite	9200,	Patriots	Plaza	
Building,	Washington,	DC	20201	
800.232.4636
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh
Workplace	Health	and	Safety		Program,	
Cornell	University,	School	of	Industrial	and	
Labor	Relations	
237	Main	St.	–	Suite	1200,	Buffalo,	NY	14203	
716.852.4191	
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/healthsafety/
National	Center	for	Environmental	Health	
Strategies,
1100	Rural	Avenue,	Voorhees,	NJ	08043		
856.816.8820
http://www.ncehs.org/
Human	Ecology	Action	League,	
P.O.	Box		509,	Stockbridge,	GA		30281		
770.389.4519
http://www.healnatl.org
	 W W W . H R T I P S . O R G 	 7
About this brochure
This	brochure	is	one	of	a	series	on	human	
resources	practices	and	workplace	accom-
modations	for	persons	with	disabilities	edited	
by	Susanne	M.	Bruyère,	Ph.D.,	CRC,	Director,	
Employment	and	Disability	Institute,	Cornell	
University	ILR	School.	
It	was	updated	in	2010	by	Nellie	Brown,	M.S.,	
CIH,	Statewide	Director,	Workplace	Health	
and	Safety	Program,	Cornell	University		ILR	
School,	from	her	original,	which	she	wrote	in	
1994	and	first	updated	in	2002.
The	full	text	of	this	brochure,	and	others	in	
this	series,	can	be	found	at	www.hrtips.org.		
More	information	on	accessibility	and	accom-
modation	is	available	from	the	ADA	National	
Network	at	800.949.4232	(voice/	TTY),	
www.adata.org.
Disclaimer
This	material	was	produced	by	the	Employment	
and	Disability	Institute	in	the	Cornell	University	ILR	
School.			Development	of	the	original	brochure	series	
was	funded	by	a	grant	from	the	National	Institute	on	
Disability	and	Rehabilitation	Research	(NIDRR)	(grant	
#H133D10155).			Content	updates	were	funded	by	
NIDRR	grant	number	H133	A110020.		However,	those	
contents	do	not	necessarily	represent	the	policy	of	the	
Department	of	Education,	and	you	should	not	assume	
endorsement	by	the	Federal	Government.		
The	U.S.	Equal	Employment	Opportunity	Commission	
has	reviewed	it	for	accuracy.		However,	opinions	about	
the	Americans	with	Disabilities	Act	(ADA)	expressed	
in	this	material	are	those	of	the	author,	and	do	not	
necessarily	reflect	the	viewpoint	of	the	Commission	or	
the	publisher.		EEOC	interpretations	of	the	ADA	are	
reflected	in	its	ADA	regulations	(29	CFR	Part	1630),	
Technical	Assistance	Manual	for	Title	I	of	the	Act,	and	
Enforcement	Guidance.		
Cornell	University	is	authorized	by	NIDRR	to	provide	
information,	materials,	and	technical	assistance	to	indi-
viduals	and	entities	that	are	covered	by	the	Americans	
with	Disabilities	Act	(ADA).		You	should	be	aware	that	
NIDRR	is	not	responsible	for	enforcement	of	the	ADA.		
The	information,	materials,	and/or	technical	assistance	
are	intended	solely	as	informal	guidance,	and	are	
neither	a	determination	of	your	legal	rights	or	responsi-
bilities	under	the	Act,	nor	binding	on	any	agency	with	
enforcement	responsibility	under	the	ADA.
The	Equal	Employment	Opportunity	Commission	has	
issued	enforcement	guidance	which	provides	ad-
ditional	clarification	of	various	elements	of	the	Title	
I	provisions	under	the	ADA.		Copies	of	the	guidance	
documents	are	available	for	viewing	and	downloading	
from	the	EEOC	web	site	at:	
http://www.eeoc.gov
	 Causes	of	Poor	Indoor	Air	Quality	and	What	You	Can	Do	About	It
Contact Information
Susanne	M.	Bruyère,	Ph.D.,	CRC,	Director
Employment	and	Disability	Institute
ILR	School
Cornell	University
201	Dolgen	Hall
Ithaca,	New	York	14853-3201
Voice:	607.255.7727
Fax:	607.255.2763
TTY:	607.255.2891
Email:	smb23@cornell.edu
Web:	www.edi.cornell.edu
To	view	all	the	brochures	in	this	series,	please	
visit:	www.hrtips.org


Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality and What You Can Do About It

Development of the original brochure series was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) (grant #H133D10155). Content updates were funded by NIDRR grant number H133 A110020. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.This brochure is one of a series on human resources practices and workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities edited by Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University ILR School.It was updated in 2010 by Nellie Brown, M.S., CIH, Statewide Director, Workplace Health and Safety Program, Cornell University ILR School, from her original, which she wrote in 1994 and first updated in 2002.A73_PDF.pdf: 13134 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Brown, Nellie J.

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Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality and What You Can Do About It

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