| Buildings are designed and built in order to shelter | | | | boiling food also produces a lot of smoke and |
| man against the unwanted effects of weather. | | | | water vapor that releases different types of |
| Prominent among these unwanted effects are | | | | contaminant depending on the type of food. |
| effect of air-borne diseases which can lead to | | | | Therefore, cooking as an indoor activity reduces |
| sicknesses such as Asthma, Bronchitis, Cancers, | | | | the quality of air indoor. |
| and Flu. | | | | [b] Tobacco smoking: - tobacco smokes consist |
| Millions of people have died and are still dying | | | | of large number of constituent chemicals |
| because of the consequential effects of these air | | | | That is very dangerous to our health. When man |
| borne diseases on their health. Larger percentages | | | | smokes tobacco in the room, the indoor air is |
| of these deaths are from the third world | | | | greatly polluted by the contaminants released into |
| countries where a lot of people stay in slums and | | | | the air from the smokes. This action invariably |
| in environment that are inhabitable. | | | | reduces the quality of air indoor. When man |
| Therefore, a principal function of the design and | | | | inhales this type of low quality air it goes a long |
| the construction of a building is to ensure that | | | | way to have adverse effect on his health. |
| within the building environment are conducive to | | | | [c] Sneezing:-This is an involuntary action that man |
| the well being and efficiency of man. This and | | | | exhibit once in a while. When this action occur a |
| many more reasons necessitate the presentation | | | | lot of air contaminants is released into the air |
| of this article:Quality of Air in the Building: A | | | | which eventually reduces the quality of the indoor |
| maintenance guide. | | | | air. |
| Quality of Air:- Generally speaking, unpolluted fresh | | | | [d] bathing and washing:-when man baths and |
| air consists largely of Nitrogen, oxygen, water | | | | washes with warm water, the water vapor that |
| vapor and small amount of other gases. But, | | | | is released from the process of bathing and |
| because of the activities of man and the effect | | | | washing always contain a lot of air contaminants |
| of industrialization, fresh air gets polluted by | | | | which goes ahead to reduce the quality of indoor |
| contaminants, therefore making the air unpleasant | | | | air. |
| for man ,lowering the quality of air man inhales | | | | [d] Odor:-body odor and tobacco smokes produce |
| and eventually makes the air becomes harmful. | | | | the same kind of unpleasant contaminants into |
| To discuss the quality of air and the contaminants, | | | | the air. It has been proved that several attempts |
| air will be categorized into two; [1] outside air and | | | | define and measure body odor chemically is |
| [2] indoor air. | | | | usually unsuccessful. |
| Outside air:-Outside air is polluted by contaminant | | | | [e]sweeping and house cleaning: - These two |
| released from industrial process, gas flaring, | | | | indoor activities contribute greatly to the pollution |
| burning of fossil fuels for heating, combustion | | | | of the indoor air. |
| process, transportation, bush burning and dust. | | | | Having talked so much about the activities of man |
| The contaminants that are released by these | | | | that contributed to the reduction of the quality of |
| activities into the air that eventually pollutes the | | | | indoor air, I think it will be necessary to briefly |
| air include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur | | | | discuss ways to maintain the quality of indoor air. |
| dioxide methane, propane, butane, acetylene and | | | | Maintaining the quality of indoor air: |
| hydrogen. All these contaminant are somehow | | | | The quality of indoor air can be maintained in the |
| toxic. Once any of this contaminant is released | | | | following ways: |
| into the air the quality of air become reduce and | | | | [1] By controlling production of contaminants, |
| gradually becomes harmful to man once it get | | | | venting any residue to open air. |
| into his body system through respiratory process. | | | | [2] Diluting contaminants by bringing in outdoor |
| Indoor air:-Indoor air is polluted through | | | | fresh air through windows and ventilators. |
| contaminant released from different indoor | | | | [3] Replacing used and contaminated air |
| activities. These activities include cooking, tobacco | | | | mechanically through system of air conditioning. |
| smoking, sneezing, bathing and washing, body | | | | [4]Depending on the number of occupants, office |
| odor, sweeping and house cleaning. Let us | | | | spaces, bedrooms, and all other rooms in a building |
| examine how this activities contributes to the | | | | should be made spacious as possible. |
| pollution of indoor air one after the other. | | | | [5] Totally preventing the smoking of tobacco |
| [a] cooking:-cooking as an indoor activity | | | | indoors. |
| generates a lot of smokes which contain a large | | | | [6] The use of nose mask in the event of heavy |
| number of air contaminants. The smoke that | | | | cooking that generates a lot of smokes. |
| comes out of a lighter contains phosphorous | | | | Conclusively, man should bear in mind that quality |
| which has been said to be very harmful to the | | | | of air in is building must be acceptable at all time, |
| bone if inhaled continuously for a long time. When | | | | not containing contaminants which is always |
| the gas cooker is in flame, it releases a lot of | | | | unpleasant and even harmful. With this in mind, |
| harmful contaminants into the indoor air which also | | | | man will reduce the activities that can lead to the |
| reduces the quality of air. Frying, roasting, and | | | | reduction of the quality of air in his building. |