TITLE:
A Practical Approach to Indoor Air Quality for Municipal Public Health and Safety
AUTHORS:
Nathan J. Edwards, Brian Colder, Jon Sullivan, Laura Naramore
KEYWORDS:
Indoor Air Quality, Public Health, Urban Environmental Management, Airborne Transmission, Airborne Particle Dispersion
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.11 No.1,
January
29,
2021
ABSTRACT: Airborne contaminants from viral pathogens, biological weapons,
wildfires, industrial accidents, and other sources present a complex policy and
technology challenge for the public sector health and safety. During the global
pandemic that began in early 2020, indoor air quality has become a focal point
for companies and communities who seek affordable, technically sound processes
to evaluate and mitigate threats to air quality in their work environments.
This paper provides an overview of methods derived from observations of more
than 190 scientific experiments to evaluate indoor air quality effects from
wearing face masks and in public transportation vehicles. The methods can be
adapted for locally administered indoor air quality programs, including
high-risk environments such as nursing homes, schools, office areas, and public transportation. The approach
follows an Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)
hazards-control process and includes surveys, analysis and decisions based on
science and mitigation selection, as well as a detailed description of
implementing reduced-cost field testing.