The indoor air in commercial buildings is often extremely poor, with around 30% of buildings suffering from extensive IAQ issues. The trouble has worsened over the last few decades because the construction of commercial facilities has become tighter to help improve energy efficiency.
The trouble with tighter construction and better air sealing is that it traps pollutants inside the building where they increase in concentration. Any commercial facility produces pollutants from multiple sources and processes. The World Health Organization links these pollutants to respiratory illnesses and allergies.
Illness is obviously no good in a workplace, and studies have found that low IAQ causes a productivity drop from 20% to 33%. This means billions of dollars lost annually across Canada because of indoor air quality issues.
And, unfortunately, the trouble this year is only going to get worse as colder weather arrives. Low IAQ drops further during seasons when buildings are more tightly secured against outdoor temperatures.