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A01: Fundamental Air Quality

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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

Part 1

Meet Thresholds for Particulate Matter

Verified by Performance Test

Choose between the following:

Option 1. The following thresholds are met:   

  1. PM2.5 less than 15 μg/m3.   

  2.  PM10 less than 50 μg/m3.

Option 2.

Note: Projects pursuing this strategy are limited in WELL Certification level to Gold, regardless of total points achieved.

The following thresholds are met for a project located where the annual average ambient PM2.5 level is 35 μg/m3 or higher.

  1.  PM2.5 less than 25 μg/m3.

  2. PM10 less than 50 μg/m3.

Option 3.

Note: Projects pursuing this strategy are limited in WELL Certification level to Silver, regardless of total points achieved.

The following thresholds are met for a project located where the annual average ambient PM2.5 level is 35 μg/m3 or higher.  

  1. PM2.5 equal to 30% of the 24- or 48-hour average of outdoor levels on the day(s) of performance testing.

  2. PM10 equal to 30% of the 24- or 48-hour average of outdoor levels on the day(s) of performance testing.

For Commercial Kitchen Spaces
Choose between the following:
Option 1. The following threshold is met:   

  1. PM2.5 less than 35 μg/m³.[12]  

Option 2.

Note: Projects pursuing this strategy are limited in WELL Certification level to Silver, regardless of total points achieved.

The following thresholds are met for a project located where the annual average ambient PM2.5 level is 35 μg/m3 or higher.

  1. PM2.5 equal to 30% of the 24- or 48-hour average of outdoor levels on the day(s) of performance testing.
  2. PM10 equal to 30% of the 24- or 48-hour average of outdoor levels on the day(s) of performance testing.
Part 2
Meet Thresholds for Organic Gases
Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces except Commercial Kitchen Spaces

The following thresholds are met: 

  1. Formaldehyde less than 27 ppb.

  2. 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
 For Commercial Kitchen Spaces

The following threshold is met:   

  1. Formaldehyde less than 81 ppb.  

Part 3

Meet Thresholds for Inorganic Gases

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces except Commercial Kitchen Spaces

The following thresholds are met: 

  1. Carbon monoxide less than 9 ppm.   

  2. Ozone less than 51 ppb.

For Commercial Kitchen Spaces

The following thresholds are met:   

  1. Carbon monoxide levels less than 30 ppm.  

Part 4

Meet Radon Threshold

Verified by MEP, Owner

For All Spaces

If project has a regularly occupied space at or below grade, one of the following requirements is met:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Part 5

Monitor Fundamental Air Parameters

Verified by Operations Schedule, On-going Data Report

For All Spaces

The following requirements are met:   

  1. 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.

  2. 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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