Indoor Air Quality: A workshop report on the contribution chemical sciences can make to improving indoor air quality in the UK

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Analytical Science Community (ASC), the Environment, Sustainability and Energy Community (ESEC) and the Faraday Community for Physical Chemistry (FCPC) held an online workshop on indoor air quality on 9 November 2022.

The workshop brought together experts and stakeholders from industry, academia, research institutes, funding bodies, policymakers, and UK government departments and agencies. This report summarises these discussions. While this report focuses on indoor air quality research, policy, and funding within the UK and from the chemical sciences viewpoint, the role of other disciplines (e.g., physical, life, and social sciences, and engineering) are equally critical, and many of the challenges, solutions and opportunities highlighted in this report may also be relevant worldwide.

There is growing evidence that indoor air pollution has significant short and long-term health impacts . The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 3 million people worldwide die every year due to illnesses resulting from harmful indoor air in their homes.1 Yet, while outdoor air pollution has been studied extensively, indoor air quality is not yet as well understood.

Indoor air quality is incredibly complex. Many sources and various factors affect the amount, type, and distribution of pollutants in an environment, including features of the building (such as size, materials, use, and location) and occupants’ behaviour. Unlike outdoor air pollution, indoor emissions are not easily dispersed, and pollutants can accumulate, for example, on surfaces. While ventilation can help, several factors influence its effectiveness, such as local outdoor air quality.

There is a need for more developed and coordinated policy and regulation.
UK regulation and policy on indoor air quality is not yet as well developed as for outdoor air quality and is somewhat fragmented, with responsibility distributed across government departments and agencies. There is an opportunity to build on good practice from other countries.

Regulation and policymaking require a holistic approach. For example, consideration of links and interplays between net zero policies and indoor air quality. Data protection and privacy must also be considered, as research will require large-scale measurement across locations, such as homes, schools, hospitals, and workplaces.

There is a need to establish reliable measurement approaches, datasets and models. Given its complexity, measuring indoor air quality is challenging. A national baseline assessment of pollutants and how to measure them in various indoor environments would be a useful first step in developing a nationwide inventory to facilitate research and monitoring of pollution levels and health impacts. Data could also be integrated from existing sources, e.g. building management systems. As larger datasets are collected, AI, machine learning and methods such as statistical clustering could be used to identify patterns.

Stable long-term funding is needed for research and monitoring given the complexity of the topic and the collaboration required. While there have been several funding calls for indoor air quality research in recent years, concerns remain about what happens when these funding streams end. For example, funding for a long- term systematic indoor air quality and health surveillance project would improve understanding of health effects and how the presence of pollutants may evolve over time.

Mechanisms are needed to enable collaboration between disciplines, sectors, and settings. Researching indoor air quality requires the involvement of multiple disciplines (such as physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, and life sciences), policymakers, regulators, industry, academia, government departments and agencies, and the public, as well as involving different types of buildings such as homes, schools and workplaces.

There are considerable opportunities for innovation. This includes developing specialist measurement techniques such as practical and low-cost sensors and developing technologies to help reduce or control pollutants within an indoor environment, particularly when ventilation is not a practical or effective option.

Scientists need to engage with policymakers, stakeholders and the wider public to inform policy, engage them in research and to support people in making informed choices and mitigating risks. For example, many everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, DIY, or opening windows can significantly alter indoor air quality.