IAQ and occupant health

Clive Broadbent, L.AIRAH, discusses how climate change and increases in surface water temperatures could potentially encourage the growth of bacteria that prefer warm water (mesophiles), including Legionella.

A report launched at Parliament House in November has highlighted the human impact of poor indoor air quality, framing it as an access and inclusion issue.

A research centre at Queensland University of Technology has set out an ambitious range of projects to build our knowledge of indoor air quality

AIRAH’s IAQ 2024 conference underscored the once-in-a-century opportunity to improve indoor air quality – and what we need to do to seize it.

The adoption of ISO 16890 in Australia will support better filter selection and specification, according to Daniel McCaffrey, M.AIRAH, and Peter Mathieson, F.AIRAH, from AIRAH’s IAQ Special Technical Group.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, national leaders from a wide range of disciplines have sought to engage government on the need for improving indoor air quality.

Living green walls can improve aesthetics, add a soothing touch of greenery to a space and lift our moods. But can they have a material impact on indoor air quality? Nick Johns-Wickberg investigates.

Much has been made of the poor ventilation in Australian classrooms, but the situation is even more dire for thousands of mining, construction and agriculture workers. Mark Vender investigates.

AIRAH’s Indoor Air Quality Conference 2024 will take place on July 15–16 in the River Room at Crown Melbourne.

Effective learning spaces that maintain optimum indoor environmental quality and inspire students to learn form a critical component of educating our youth. As part of the i-Hub initiative, a collective of designers, engineers and architects explored how integrated design might benefit ACT schools.

In order to raise the standard of operational hospital buildings, a holistic approach must be taken, writes Cundall’s Amin Azarmi.

Ventilation units within vehicle tunnels play a pivotal role in ensuring safety and optimal air quality for occupants. These units are used to assist with propelling air from one end to the opposite end of the tunnel. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has emerged as an invaluable design tool for engineers and stakeholders, offering simulated insights and data to optimise safety and efficiency in tunnel projects. This paper emphasises the advantages of CFD for road tunnel ventilation design, showcases a case study involving impulse fans, and highlights the positive effects on project costs and overall tunnel ventilation performance.

The adoption of a prefabrication strategy in the design and construction of mechanical services systems at the new Victorian Heart Hospital in Clayton solved numerous challenges associated with the build and project timelines. As Sean McGowan reports, the approach is a precursor to future healthcare projects.

Almost everyone who works on HVAC in Australia would be familiar with the AS 1668 series. Right now, AS 1668.2 and AS 1668.4 – which between them cover mechanical and natural ventilation in buildings – are open for public comment.

AIRAH’s Infection Control and Operating Theatre Practices Special Technical Group is taking a close look at hospital air quality guidelines.

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) using electromagnetic radiation in the UV‑C wavelength band of 200–280nm can prevent the reproduction of microorganisms. Several factors related to UV fixtures, HVAC layout and the resulting airflow flow patterns can affect the performance of upper‑room UVGI applications.

With the release of a fast-tracked pathogen mitigation standard and updates to advice on building ventilation from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the US seems to be taking the lead on indoor air quality. Ecolibrium asked three local experts for their views. Mark Vender reports.

A recent event in Melbourne explored how the themes of sustainability and indoor air quality are intrinsically linked.

The recent Clean Air Forum in Canberra brought together stakeholders across various disciplines to discuss the next steps to improving indoor air quality. AIRAH attended as a peak engineering body.