Concern about indoor air quality (IAQ)
the study of indoor environmental issues is a fairly recent
phenomenon. Most of the early IAQ studies
focused on the comparison of indoor air to outdoor air. Outdoor
pollution was a primary concern and the goal was to ensure that
indoor air was of a better quality than the outdoor air. As the
research increased other causative factors emerged, adding more
complexity to the issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 30 percent of all
commercial buildings have significant IAQ
problems. Some of these issues may be caused by energy efficiency,
new construction practices and building materials, photocopiers,
fax machines, computers, as well as pollutants generated by the
occupants