A recent survey has revealed that nearly three-quarters of offices in India are ‘non-compliant’ with indoor air quality limits.
Revealed in an article this week in India’s online news outlet The Economic Times, the survey showed that of the 30 office spaces inspected, only one had all the indoor air contaminants within the prescribed limits.
The study was carried out jointly by GBCI India and Saint Gobain Research India to evaluate the health performance of office buildings across the country.
In 73% of the office spaces examined, the levels of three or more contaminants were higher than than the prescribed limits, the study showed. The status of different IEQ (indoor environmental quality) parameters was assessed with reference to relevant national and international standards.
The survey covered 30 office spaces located in nine Indian cities covering three major climatic zones, while the buildings housing them were a mix of green-certified and non-certified spaces owned by private and government agencies.
The same study on Indian offices revealed that 67% of the offices had nitrogen dioxide levels higher than the recommended threshold. In buildings located near high-traffic areas, traffic pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and VOCs can enter the building through ventilation and infiltration. To remove non-particulate traffic-related pollutants from outdoor air, chemical filters should be installed in the filtration system.
Chemical filters that can remove NO2 from outdoor air were found in only 10% of the office spaces examined.
Click to read the full article in The Economic Times.
Additional reading
A white paper is the outcome of joint research conducted by GBCI India and Saint Gobain Research India to evaluate the indoor environmental quality of workspaces in India and their impact on occupants’ health and wellbeing. Insights from Healthy Workplaces for Healthier People will prove useful to anyone who owns, operates or works in an office as well as to professionals who are involved in workplace design. To read the paper click here.
Content Team
Work in Mind is a content platform designed to give a voice to thinkers, businesses, journalists and regulatory bodies in the field of healthy buildings.
