Why has indoor air quality declined?
During the 1970’s, the global use of energy became an important political and economic topic due to the energy crises which took place during that decade. Subsequently, the cost of heating and cooling of air in buildings increased and changes in construction techniques took place. Many buildings were retrofitted with insulation, vapour barriers, and new tighter windows and doors. New building construction techniques were developed to decrease the amount of heat transfer through walls and windows and to reduce the volume of air infiltration or exchange through walls, windows, and doors. As a result, the build-up of contaminants and moisture inside of buildings which provided a healthy environment in the past became an issue. Sick Building Syndrome is now a common label used for headaches, eye irritations, nasal irritations, fatigue and other symptoms which can be correlated to time spent inside a specific building or room. Building Related Illness refers to a specific diagnosable illnes
