IAQ In Large and Commercial Buildings
Building Air Quality (BAQ)
A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers
The Building Air Quality, developed by the EPA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, provides practical suggestions on preventing, identifying, and resolving indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in public and commercial buildings. This guidance provides information on factors affecting indoor air quality; describes how to develop an IAQ profile of building conditions and create an IAQ management plan; describes investigative strategies to identify causes of IAQ problems; and provides criteria for assessing alternative mitigation strategies, determining whether a problem has been resolved, and deciding whether to consult outside technical specialists. Other topics included in the guide are key problem causing factors; air quality sampling; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; moisture problems; and additional sources of information.
You can select just the form or section that you need to download and view/print (see the table of contents below).
- You can download the entire PDF version of the guide (PDF, 228 pp., 2.7 M, about PDF).
- All Forms in one zipped file (ZIP, 92 K)
- EPA 402-F-91-102, December 1991
For more information on IAQ in Large Buildings, please see our Indoor Air Quality Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) which updates this guidance at www.epa.gov/iaq/largebldgs/i-beam/index.html
Building Air Quality Action Plan
The Building Air Quality Action Plan meets the needs of building owners and managers who want an easy-to-understand path for taking their building from current conditions and practices to the successful institutionalization of good IAQ management practices. It emphasizes changing how you operate and maintain your building, not increasing the amount of work or cost of maintaining your building. The BAQ Action Plan follows 8 logical steps and includes a 100-item Checklist that is designed to help verify implementation of the Action Plan. This guidance is available here only as a PDF file.
- PDF Version (PDF, 28 pp., 845 K, about PDF)
- EPA 402-K-98-001, June 1998
- Table of Contents (PDF) (3 pp., 12 K, about PDF)
- Forward (PDF) (1 page, 10 K)
- Note to Building Owners and Facility Managers (PDF) (4 pp., 16 K)
- Acknowledgements (PDF) (3 pp., 13 K)
INDEX (PDF) (5 pp., 16 K)
TAB I: Basics
- Section 1: About this Document (PDF) (4 pp., 16 K)
- Section 2: Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality (PDF) (8 pp., 65 K)
Sources of Indoor Air Contaminants; HVAC System Design and Operation; Pollutant Pathways and Driving Forces; Building Occupants - Section 3: Effective Communication (PDF) (5 pp., 44 K)
Communicating to Prevent IAQ Problems; Communicating to Resolve IAQ Problems
TAB II: Preventing IAQ Problems
- Section 4: Developing an IAQ Profile <(PDF) (11 pp., 177 K)
Skills Required to Create an IAQ Profile; Steps in an IAQ Profile - Section 5: Managing Buildings for Good IAQ (PDF) (13 pp., 154 K)
Developing an IAQ Management Plan
TAB III: Resolving IAQ Problems
- Section 6: Diagnosing IAQ Problems (PDF) (35 pp., 434 K)
Overview: Conducting an IAQ Investigation; Initial Walkthrough; Collecting Additional Information; Collecting Information About Occupant Complaints; Using the Occupant Data; Collecting Information about the HVAC System; Using the HVAC System Data; Collecting Information about Pollutant Pathways and Driving Forces; Using Pollutant Pathway Data; Collecting Information on Pollutant Sources; Using Pollutant Source Data; Sampling Air for Contaminants and Indicators; Complaints Due to Conditions Other Than Poor Air Quality; Forming and Testing Hypotheses - Section 7: Mitigating IAQ Problems (PDF) (24 pp., 590 K)
Background: Controlling Indoor Air Problems; Sample Problems and Solutions; Judging Proposed Mitigation Designs and Their Successes - Section 8: Hiring Professional Assistance to Solve an IAQ Problem (PDF) (4 pp., 18 K)
Make Sure That Their Approach Fits Your Needs; Selection Criteria
TAB IV: Appendices
- Appendix A: Common IAQ Measurements - A General Guide (PDF) (11 pp., 235 K, about PDF)
Overview of Sampling Devices; Simple Ventilation/Comfort Indications; Air Contaminant Concentrations - Appendix B: HVAC Systems and Indoor Air Quality (PDF) (19 pp., 514 K)
Background; Types of HVAC Systems; Basic Components of an HVAC System; ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines - Appendix C: Moisture, Mold and Mildew (PDF) (6 pp., 198 K)
Background on Relative Humidity, Vapor Pressure, and Condensation; Taking Steps to Reduce Moisture; Identifying and Correcting Common Problems from Mold and Mildew - Appendix D: Asbestos (PDF) (4 pp., 38 K)
EPA and NIOSH Positions on Asbestos; Programs for Managing Asbestos In-Place; Where to Go for Additional Information - Appendix E: Radon (PDF) (2 pp., 12 K)
Building Measurement, Diagnosis and Remediation; Where to Go for Additional Information - Appendix F: Glossary and Acronyms (PDF) (4 pp., 15 K)
- Appendix G: Resources (PDF) (11 pp., 29 K)
Federal Agencies with Major IAQ Responsibilities; Other Federal Agencies with Indoor Air Responsibilities; State and Local Agencies; Private Sector Contacts; Publications; Training
TAB V: Indoor Air Quality FORMS
- IAQ Management Checklist (PDF) (4 pp., 14 K)
- Pollutant Pathway Record for IAQ Profiles (PDF) (1 page, 8 K)
- Zone/Room Record (PDF) (1 page, 10 K)
- Ventilation Worksheet (PDF) (1 page, 9 K)
- Indoor Air Quality Complaint Form (PDF) (1 page, 11 K)
- Incident Log (PDF) (1 page, 13 K)
- Occupant Interview (PDF) (2 pp., 9 K)
- Occupant Diary (PDF) (1 page, 10 K)
- Log of Activities and System Operation (PDF) (1 page, 9 K)
- HVAC Checklist - Short Form (PDF) (4 pp., 22 K)
- HVAC Checklist - Long Form (PDF) (15 pp., 42 K)
- Pollutant Pathway Form for Investigations (PDF) (1 page, 8 K)
- Pollutant and Source Inventory (PDF) (7 pp., 18 K)
- Chemical Inventory (PDF) (1 page, 15 K)
- Hypothesis Form (PDF) (2 pp., 18 K)
All Forms (PDF) in one zipped file (ZIP, 92 K)