Assessment on the impact of indoor air quality on human health-a study on selected tier 1 cities of India

Abstract

Abstract The aged built environment may cause residents to experience a wide range of symptoms referred to as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). The Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is attributed mainly due to the poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The individuals living in a built environment are at risk from SBS. Thus, it is crucial to understand the unfavorable settings that lead to SBS. The proposed work analysed and assessed the reasons associated with SBS and the effects of SBS. A questionnaire survey was prepared focusing on metro city tier-1 as the first step with more than 100 respondents followed by statistical analysis . Further, the research explores the ECONIWAS tool as an approach to showcase how to address the problem in an existing built environment to create a more sustainable built environment. The research highlights multiple reasons leading to more adverse SBS symptoms leading to dry and sore throat, achy joints, and difficulties in breathing. The respondents living next to national highways or busy roads showed more SBS symptoms compared to those living in low-category or non-busy roads. The research finding assisting in improving IAQ and IEQ of the built environment. This trivial initiative will fetch a major leap in developing approaches towards achieving a sustainable built environment. The finding highlights that proposed approach facilitates in improving IAQ and IEQ of the built environment. This suggested initiative can fetch a major leap in developing strategies towards achieving sustainable built environment.

Keywords

• Indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Indoor environmental quality (IEQ)
• Sick building syndrome (SBS)
• ECONIWAS