An overview of indoor environmental conditions in work-from-home settings

Abstract

During the last week of March 2020, about 4.7 million workers in Canada transitioned to working from home due to the pandemic. A similar transition occurred at a global scale. Few studies have evaluated the WFH setting from a perspective that’s been a significant public concern during the COVID-19 pandemic: indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The objective of this paper is to present an analysis of the IEQ conditions in WFH settings based on a field study of 95 WFH sites during May-July 2022 in the Pacific Northwest region. The IEQ variables of air temperature, relative humidity, CO2, total volatile organic compounds, PM2.5, ambient light and noise were measured continuously at 10-minute intervals for the duration of the study. A preliminary analysis of the IEQ data shows the indoor air temperature in WFH settings within the study sample, ranged between 15.7-32°C, with a mean value of 22.7°C (SD = 2.3°C). The mean indoor concentrations of CO2, TVOCs and PM2.5 were 674 ppm (SD = 324 ppm), 288 ppb (SD = 515 ppb) and 4.7 μ/m3 (SD = 20.5 μ/m3) respectively. The mean values for relative humidity, light and noise were 53% (SD = 7%), 174 lux (SD = 349 lux) and 53 dB (SD = 5 dB). Associations between type of residence and most of the IEQ variables were found.