The University of Iowa

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. At Iowa the IAQ program covers the comfort and safety of employees in their workspace and looks at the temperature, humidity, adequate supply of fresh outdoor air, and control of pollutants from inside and outside of the building.

If you are concerned about exposures to chemicals that you or another employee in your work area are using please refer to our Chemical Exposure Assessment webpage.

 

IAQ Investigations: Procedures for Evaluations and Responses

If you have concerns about the IAQ in your workspace you should follow the instructions below to being an IAQ investigation of the area.

1.  Building Maintenance

  • Department Management and faculty and staff shall contact building maintenance for initial requests.
  • Common contacts are:
    • UI (FM@YourService, 319-335-5071)
    • Athletics (Facilities Office, 319-335-9410)
    • Business Services/Tenant Properties (Heritage Property Management, 319-351-8404)
    • University Housing/Residence Services (Facilities and Operations, 319-335-9970)
    • UIHC (Facility Operations Maintenance & Engineering, 319-384-5208)
  • If the issue is not resolved, building maintenance will inform the department and forward results of the investigation to Environmental Services.

2.  FM Environmental Services (319-335-5500)

  • Environmental Services will conduct an expanded investigation by evaluating basic air quality parameters in the complaint area and looking for common air contaminant sources. 
  • In the event the investigation is unable to identify and correct the source of the issue, Environmental Services will contact EHS.

3.  Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) (319-335-8501)

  • EHS will evaluate each case individually and determine the best method to proceed with issues that reach this level. 

Costs

  • Costs related to an indoor air quality evaluation are generally the responsibility of the department with the affected person(s) or the requester of the services such as a medical provider or workers compensation carrier.
  • University service units will determine costs on a case-by-case basis, taking into account availability of staff experts, resources, and factors involved in the case.

Molds are fungi that are found in nearly all locations – indoors and outdoors. They can grow almost anywhere, as long as optimal moisture, oxygen, temperatures, and food sources exist.

The best way to control mold is to control moisture, so any sources of water, moisture or leaks must be fixed. If you notice leaking water or signs or water damage contact UI FM@YourService (319-335-5071) to have the issue corrected as soon as possible.

If there is visible mold contact UI FM@YourService (319-335-5071) to have the area cleaned as soon as possible. There is no need to sample the mold to determine what species or type it is.

If there are no signs of water damage or visible mold, but you have signs and symptoms related to mold exposure such as runny nose, eye irritation, cough/congestion, sneezing, skin rash, or aggravation of asthma follow the procedures under IAQ investigations.