People spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Studies have shown that the concentrations of air pollutants indoors can be significantly higher than outdoors. Indoor air quality (IAQ) problems commonly are caused by one or more of the following sources:

• Cleaning and maintenance products;
• Office equipment and building materials;
• Mold, mildew, and microbial growth;
• Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that provide insufficient fresh air or inadequate climate control;
• Vehicle exhaust; and
• Industrial and commercial processes.

GEOMET's Building Investigation Group is primed to respond to occupant complaints and to identify potential IAQ problems before they become serious. We offer a program that adapts to the situation in a phased approach.

Phase I: Preliminary Inspection

• Conduct site visit and walkthrough
• Interview individuals experiencing symptoms
• Interview unaffected individuals
• Interview building maintenance engineers
• Evaluate the building's ventilation system
• Recommend a solution or more specific investigations

Many IAQ problems are solved during the Phase I Investigation. When a solution is identified, the interested parties usually agree upon the means for implementing the solution. More obscure problems that severely affect the functionality of the building may require a Phase II investigation.

Phase II: In-depth Investigation

• Characterize the pollutant levels through field sampling and laboratory analysis for chemical and biological contaminants
• Evaluate the building materials, building ventilation system, and other building characteristics
• Target the investigation based on the results of laboratory analysis
• Conduct further site- and situation-specific investigations.

Building Investigation Qualifications

Indoor Air Quality Modeling and Exposure Assessment