Air of knowledge
Alan Siggins, Managing Director of Airflow, explains the current legislation surrounding the UK’s indoor air quality standards.
The UK is already showing the first signs of winter. As temperatures drop, people naturally spend more time inside. However, this shift comes with a potential health concern – indoor air can become up to five times more polluted than outside. What’s more, indoor air pollution is often unnoticed until it impacts health.
Unsurprisingly, with this increased risk to public health from poor air quality, there have been amendments to existing legislation in the UK, as well as new rules and regulations to familiarise yourself with.
What is indoor air quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air within and around buildings, relating to the health and comfort of the people living there. Poor IAQ can be detrimental to the health of occupants, both in the short-term and long-term. It can cause respiratory issues, headaches and even decreased cognitive function.
To maintain good IAQ, properties should be assessed for problems like damp and mould, volatile organic compounds and by-products from combustion. Solutions should also be investigated, including air filtration, proper ventilation and measures to reduce or eliminate pollutant sources.
What are the standards for indoor air quality?
In the UK, there isn’t an overarching legislation currently in place. That said, there are a number of different standards and guidelines that encourage compliance with IAQ regulations.
UK building regulations: approved document F: These 2021 amended regulations mandate higher ventilation rates and mechanical ventilation for airtight new homes to improve IAQ.
WHO Indoor air quality guidelines:
These protect public health from a number of chemicals found in indoor air that can have negative health effects in homes if found in large quantities, or for long periods. Three main groups of indoor pollutants are identified, including biological indoor pollutants (dampness and mould), chemical pollutants and pollutants from the combustion of indoor fuels.
NICE Indoor air quality at home guidance:
These guidelines focus on IAQ in homes. They offer advice on how to achieve good air quality in homes and include recommendations for architects, designers, builders and developers to follow to comply with building standards.
Awaab’s Law and Social Housing (Regulation) Act:
This legislation was driven by the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from exposure to mould in his home. It aims to enforce more stringent and timely action for landlords to ensure safe living conditions and better regulation of social housing.
Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill:
Also known as Ella’s Law, named after Ella Adoo Kissi Debrah, the first person in England to have air pollution named as the cause of death. This is a proposed legislation in the UK that aims to make it a legal human right to breathe clean air and bring air quality in every community to minimum WHO standards.
Building Engineering Services Association (BESA):
BS40102 (part one) is the first British Standard for health and wellbeing in buildings, created by BESA. It offers a framework for evaluating, tracking and documenting indoor environmental quality (IEQ) across non-residential buildings. It includes evaluation and rating methodologies for various factors impacting IEQ, including air quality, lighting, thermal comfort and acoustics.
The Future Homes and Building Standard:
The UK government has pledged to implement new standards, guidelines and regulations that will require all newly constructed homes from 2025 onward to generate 75-80% fewer carbon emissions compared to homes built according to the current regulations.
How to improve IAQ
Increase ventilation: Proper ventilation is crucial for improving IAQ. Consider mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems during construction or renovation. These solutions provide continuous filtered fresh air while recovering heat to improve energy efficiency.
Controlling the source of pollutants: Identify and reduce sources of indoor pollutants, such as combustion appliances, building materials and cleaning products.
Air purification: This helps remove particulate pollutants, gases and odours. Consider installing whole-home air purification systems for enhanced filtration.
Cleaning and maintenance: Regularly clean or replace filters, vents and ductwork to prevent recirculation of dust and pollutants, and upgrade older ventilation equipment.
Check if recirculation is efficient: Ensure any air ventilation systems are not recirculating stale indoor air excessively by checking the outdoor air intake, filter condition and overall airflow balance through testing and balancing.
