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While scientists have long suspected a link between rising levels of CO2 in the outdoor environment and global warming, carbon dioxide can cause problems indoors too. High indoor carbon dioxide concentrations can cause headaches, eye problems, nasal symptoms, respiratory tract conditions and general feelings of fatigue.

Typical office levels are in the range of 600-800ppm (parts per million), but a recent study by KPMG and Middlesex University conducted amongst 300 adults found that higher levels of CO2 could reduce concentration levels by as much as 30 per cent.

At levels above 1,500ppm, 79 per cent of people reported feeling tired and above 2,000ppm nearly two thirds of participants reported having no level of concentration. In addition, 97 per cent of migraine sufferers reported symptoms at levels over 1000ppm.

Lethargic

KPMG’s health and well-being manager, Julie Bennett, who conducted the research with Middlesex University, believes that high levels of carbon dioxide in offices are widespread.

“If workers are feeling lethargic, apathetic or unable to concentrate in the office, it may not be because of the routines and strains of their job – it could be because the levels of CO2 in the air around them are too high. I have taken readings in a range of company offices – as well as public buildings and schools - and it is not at all uncommon to find levels of well over 1,000ppm. This is an issue of which organisations need to take more notice,” she said.

Ramnifications

In modern office buildings – with sealed windows, draught exclusions and insulation – natural ventilation is minimal, causing air to be used, breathed and not replaced. This is not a problem with an efficient and well-controlled air-conditioning system – but can become a problem if a system is not well maintained or is poorly designed in the first place.

The ramifications can be considerable. The cost of poor air quality (in terms of sick absence and time dealt dealing with the problem/complaints) in a large government office with 2,500 occupants was £400,000 a year at 1990 prices, according to evidence submitted to a UK parliamentary Select Committee on the Environment.

“Companies ought to be checking CO2 levels in their buildings,” Bennett said. “Otherwise staff well-being could be affected, and reduced levels of productivity could potentially cost a company thousands of pounds. CO2 levels could be one of the major contributory factors to so-called sick building syndrome.”

Tips on monitoring air quality:

• Inspect maintenance and service records of mechanical ventilation systems to ensure compliance with regulatory standards for suitable air supply. The reuse of air from storerooms, photocopying rooms etc should be prohibited.
• Implement an indoor air quality audit. Select a monitoring point that is representative of general air quality away from walls, partitions and corners, air supply diffusers, floor fans, heaters or direct solar light, and away from local sources of pollutants such as printers and photocopiers.
• Measure at set times of the day and week.
• Ensure other indoor air quality factors such as temperature and air humidity are recorded to validate the relationship between air supply and air quality.
• Monitor sickness and absence data, comparing them with indoor air quality data to identify any trends.
• Record and review your findings regularly, particularly when there are any changes to the air supplied to a room, or the activities and/or occupants within.

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Related links

• KPMG
• Health and Safety Executive