A definition of indoor air quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the quality of the
air inside a building. It is defined on the
basis of the concentrations and levels of
incoming chemical and biological substances
and the comfort-related factors
which affect people and processes.
The quality of indoor air is a factor that
is often neglected and that has an impact
on people’s health, well-being and performance.
New times – new challenges
Air pollution has been produced throughout
the Earth’s history. It ranges from
natural volcanic ash to emissions from
diesel vehicles and other forms of pollu-
A GUIDE FOR
ELITE ATHLETES
THE CHALLENGES
PRESENTED BY INDOOR AIR
tion caused by humans. As a result of our
efforts to keep warm and live a comfortable
life while keeping our energy consumption
to a minimum, we have created indoor
environments where we often fail to purify
the air to a satisfactory level.
In the past, people simply had to deal with
particles from wood smoke, sandstorms
and other natural forms of pollution. In
these cases, their bodies’ in-built protective
mechanisms effectively removed the
worst of the pollution.
The past two or three hundred years of
industrialisation represent a very short
period in our history. This means that
our bodies have not had time to develop