Increasing awareness of maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in the developed world has led to marked increase in better health and productivity. However, we are lagging very far behind, causing numerous health problems and unfortunately, due to our total abhorrence to health laws and building codes, our widespread use of air-conditioning without minimum health considerations are dangerous and all such areas should have a similar notice as mandatory for selling cigarettes - "dangerous to health, could cause cancer"!
If, in the name of providing cooling, we were asked to sit inside a large fridge or cold room (without any ventilation air), we would know that it would be "wrong". However, we are happy to accept similar conditions in thousands of crowded eating places, offices (especially bank branches), places of worship, etc, with the so-called mini-split air-conditioning units. How unhealthy are these spaces if one understands the significance of minimum ventilation air required to stay healthy? An average person needs at least 7.5 cubic feet of outside filtered air per minute (CFM) to meet minimum health requirement. The present abuse of air-conditioning, without any provision of ventilation air, should be challenged by all, especially in public spaces as these are really causing serious health issues. We have no government department looking into lack of indoor air quality (IAQ). Nobody seems to have even simple instruments to monitor IAQ; though we hear all sorts of raids to check general cleanliness in eating places, nobody really cares about the most important part which is air that you breathe, without any other physical monitoring. Just to give an example, if you have 20ftx10ftx12ft closed eating hall in a restaurant (with the usual split air-conditioning units), occupied by 20 persons (requiring minimum 150 CFM of ventilation air), technically you will have "used" the good component of indoor air (oxygen) in less than 20 minutes. After that, you will be breathing each others' exhaled air! Not a very good thought?
Similar experience can be repeated for other crowded spaces and bank branches are typical examples of lack of required indoor air quality. Who is responsible for such unhealthy environment? Can one imagine the health risks of typical office employees who spend better part of their life in such unhealthy environment?
With the arrival of Holy Ramazan and arrangement for two-hour long Taravih prayers, it is really important to consider the ventilation requirement of those who are inside the hall of the mosques with seriously defective air-conditioning systems (all have split units, large and small, without any ventilation air).
Our lack of concern for health codes and minimum requirement of IAQ is even prevalent in the country's most important offices. Many years ago, we were asked to check IAQ in the most important office where special national events are held, many times with foreign dignitaries. This checking was done at the insistence of a commando brigadier who insisted that he came to the office, fully fit after his morning exercise and hearty breakfast and felt "de-energized" after only an hour stay in his office. He had complained earlier also and thought our visit would also be a waste of time. For sure, we found that the IAQ in that prestigious office was horrendous as smoke from operating boiler was finding way into the outside air inlet! And the main ventilation air path was totally blocked!
It should be noted that the concept of providing comfort air-conditioning is not to be blamed. It is the lack of concern for the health codes that needs urgent correction. When are we going to ensure minimum health codes? Even 5-star hotels and important office buildings deliberately close ventilation air inlets (to save energy?) and thus create a very unhealthy environment. Can one imagine what we are doing to the people working in congested offices, specially such places as "call centres" where unhealthy air-conditioning systems are installed giving a false sense of comfort but really creating serious health problems! It is time for the authorities to wake-up and ensure urgent action. All they need is good IAQ Monitor.
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