Measuring Carbon Dioxide as an Indicator of Indoor Air Quality Conditions

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a colorless, odorless gas that naturally occurs in the atmosphere as a trace gas. Humans and animals also exhale CO₂ as an end product of cellular respiration. In a home or building, CO₂ levels can vary greatly, which is why it is sometimes measured as an indicator to help assess current indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions.
 
According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the level of CO₂ indoors depends upon the number of people present; how long an area has been occupied; the amount of outdoor fresh air entering the area; the size of the room or area; whether combustion by-products are contaminating the indoor air (e.g., idling vehicles near air intakes, leaky furnaces, tobacco smoke); and the outdoor concentration.
 
The agency also reports that building occupants may experience health effects in buildings where CO₂ is elevated, but the symptoms are usually due to the other contaminants in the air that also build up as a result of insufficient ventilation. At high levels, the carbon dioxide itself can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms. At extremely high levels, it can cause asphyxiation, but CO₂ poisoning is very rare.
 
“Measuring carbon dioxide levels is just one of the many tools we use as building scientists to assess the air quality conditions of an indoor environment,” said Franco Seif, President at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Testing for CO₂ and other gases, along with potential chemical and microbial pollutants, allows our engineers and air quality experts to help our clients achieve an optimal indoor environment. There are also ANSI/ASHRAE Standards for ventilation and indoor air quality that recommend indoor CO₂ levels that are designed to maintain a comfortable environment.”
 
CSC recently sponsored an educational video about carbon dioxide and building environments that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/RxfA5rulWz4
 
To learn more about this or other building science, indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail