MAP Real Estate Internal Research
Basically, there is no doubt that the quality of indoor air in buildings has multiple effects on the people who spend time in them. This is very relevant for our society because on average we spend about 90% of our time indoors. The exact quantification of the impact of indoor air on the human organism, on the other hand, is inherently difficult.
On the one hand, air quality consists of a multitude of indicators for which suitable measurement methods must be developed. On the other hand, the health effects on humans are also multidimensional. This ranges from simple assessments of subjective well-being to measurements of work productivity or cognitive abilities.
As far as the effects of indoor air quality on health are concerned, reference can be made to the large number of studies dealing with outdoor air quality. For example, the negative health consequences of high concentrations of particulate matter have long been documented, as have the effects of ozone levels, nitrogen oxides and other air pollutants that can also be measured indoors. Recent studies have also shown that poor air quality affects the mental health of children and adults. This can be seen, for example, in statistical correlations of high concentrations of pollutants in urban air and the number of psychiatric emergencies [1]. The effects can be depression, anxiety disorders and numerous other mental illnesses.
A 2016 research study conducted at the Harvard School for Public Health examined the effects of indoor climate on cognitive performance [2]. For the first time, a blind study was conducted on this topic. Similar to a clinical study, test persons who performed an activity in specially prepared rooms that resembled an office job in terms of cognitive demands were exposed to variations in room air quality on different days without their knowledge. On the one hand, the scenarios consisted of indoor air that corresponded to the average US office in terms of CO2 content and levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other scenarios simulated higher polluted indoor air conditions and better ventilated rooms, but on the other hand even higher CO2 concentrations.
The most important result of the study is that cognitive performance was on average 61% or even 101% higher on days when the test persons were exposed to clean indoor air, depending on how "green" the building standard was. In particular, the ability to perform more demanding cognitive activities such as reacting in crisis situations, quickly implementing information and strategic thinking was significantly lower. (The number of subjects was small, 24, but in line with the standards for studies of this kind).
A 2017 study by the National Research Council Canada conducted basic research with the aim of improving measurement methods for examining the impact of air quality on labour productivity [3]. Compared to other measures whose monetary impacts are easily measurable, such as changes in the amount of space available per job, indoor air quality is less often the focus of investors because its benefits are not immediately apparent. A meta-study evaluated more than 500 research papers worldwide. For example, the productivity increases that can be achieved through better ventilation of workspaces are between 2%-10% in the studies examined. From this, benchmarks were developed for numerous indicators such as employee absenteeism, job satisfaction, subjective well-being and many more, which can be used to estimate the effects of measures to improve air quality.
Referenzen:
[1] IQAir, 2023: Is there a link between air pollution and mental health? https://www.iqair.com/newsroom/air-pollution-and-mental-health
[2] Allen JG, MacNaughton P, Satish U, Santanam S, Vallarino J, Spengler JD. 2016. Associations of cognitive function scores with carbon dioxide, ventilation, and volatile organic compound exposures in office workers: a controlled exposure study of green and conventional office environments. Environ Health Perspect 124:805–812
[3] Newsham, G. et al. 2017: Improving Organizational Productivity with Building Automation Systems. Boutique Multi Client Research Project.