(Required)
INTENT
Ensure a basic level of indoor air quality that contributes to the health and well-being of building users.
SUMMARY
This WELL feature requires projects to provide acceptable air quality levels as determined by public health authorities.
ISSUE
Inhalation exposure to indoor air pollutants can lead to a variety of poor health and well-being outcomes. Health effects associated with exposure to indoor air pollutants can be short- and long-term and can range in severity. Pollutants such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, and ozone can cause symptoms, ranging from headaches, dry throat, eye irritation and runny nose to asthma attacks, poisoning and cancer. Exposure to air pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and others has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases including asthma, myocardial ischemia, angina, high blood pressure and heart disease. It is therefore important to define indoor air quality levels that minimize risk to human health.
SOLUTIONS
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify a list of “criteria” air pollutants. These pollutants include ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead and sulfur dioxide. The WHO and EPA have established permissible levels for such criteria pollutants based on epidemiological studies that show the relationships between concentrations of these pollutants, duration of exposure and health risks. Achieving the goal of clean indoor air as defined by permissible levels requires the joined efforts of both professionals and building users in the implementation of adequate approaches. Indoor air quality can be properly managed through different features listed in the WELL Air concept, including source control strategies, passive and active building design and operation strategies and human behavior interventions.
IMPACT
The quality of the air people breathe indoors directly impacts their health and well-being and constitutes one of the most important aspects of healthy buildings.
REQUIREMENTS
Meet Thresholds for Particulate Matter
Choose between the following:
Choose between the following:
Meet Thresholds for Organic Gases
Verified by Performance TestFor All Spaces except Commercial Kitchen Spaces
The following thresholds are met:
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Formaldehyde less than 27 ppb.
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Individual component VOCs less than or equal to the limits listed in the table below:
Compound Name
CAS No.
Allowable Concentration (μg/m3)
Benzene
71-43-2
30
Carbon disulfide
75-15-0
400
Carbon tetrachloride
56-23-5
20
Chlorobenzene
108-90-7
500
Chloroform
67-66-3
150
Dichlorobenzene (1,4-)
106-46-7
400
Dichloroethylene (1,1)
75-35-4
35
Ethylbenzene
100-41-4
1000
Hexane (n-)
110-54-3
3500
Isopropyl alcohol
67-63-0
3500
Methyl chloroform
71-55-6
500
Methylene chloride
75-09-2
200
Methyl tert-butyl ether
1634-04-4
4000
Styrene
100-42-5
450
Tetrachloroethene
127-18-4
17.5
Toluene
108-88-3
150
Trichloroethylene
79-01-6
300
Vinyl acetate
108-05-4
100
Xylene (m, o, p combined)
108-38-3 + 95-47-6 + 106-42-3, 179601-23-1 + 95-47-6, or 1330-20-7
350
The following threshold is met:
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Formaldehyde less than 81 ppb.
Meet Thresholds for Inorganic Gases
For All Spaces except Commercial Kitchen Spaces
The following thresholds are met:
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Carbon monoxide less than 9 ppm.
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Ozone less than 51 ppb.
For Commercial Kitchen Spaces
The following thresholds are met:
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Carbon monoxide levels less than 30 ppm.
Meet Radon Threshold
If project has a regularly occupied space at or below grade, one of the following requirements is met:
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The radon level is less than 0.15 Bq/L [4 pCi/L], as tested by a professional demonstrated not to have a conflict of interest. One test is conducted per 2,300 m2 [25,000 ft2] of the lowest regularly occupied space at or below grade with natural ventilation.
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All regularly occupied spaces at or below grade meet the 'Mechanically ventilated spaces' option of Part 1: Ensure Adequate Ventilation in Feature A03: Ventilation Effectiveness.
Monitor Fundamental Air Parameters
Verified by Operations Schedule, On-going Data Report
The following requirements are met:
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The pollutants listed in this feature, except radon, are monitored at intervals no longer than once per year, and results are annually submitted through WELL Online.
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The number and location of sampling points for on-going monitoring complies with the requirements outlined in the Performance Verification Guidebook.
Note: Projects are not required to use devices that comply with the requirements described in the Performance Verification Guidebook. Projects may monitor total VOCs instead of the individual VOCs listed in Part 2: Meet Standards for Organic Gases. However, if measurements are undertaken by a WELL Performance Testing Agent in compliance with the Performance Verification Guidebook, results submitted to GBCI from each year and test location may be averaged and utilized for recertification purposes.
© International WELL Building Institute
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