Conditions for indoor air quality testing

Release Time：

2018-10-11

Regarding indoor air quality detection, while consumers are increasingly aware of the need to find qualified testing agencies, they still lack understanding, or are even completely unaware, of crucial details in the testing process that directly affect the results. In fact, any testing has strict conditions, especially when consumers want to use the test conclusions as evidence to resolve disputes or even pursue legal action; a test report without stated testing conditions is essentially worthless. Therefore, the following introduces some testing conditions stipulated in national standards to help you better communicate with testing units in future air quality testing.

　　Regarding indoor air quality detection, while consumers are increasingly aware of the need to find qualified testing agencies, they often lack understanding, or even complete knowledge, of crucial details in the testing process that directly affect the results. In reality, any testing procedure has strict conditions, especially when consumers intend to use the test conclusions as evidence to resolve disputes or even pursue legal action. A test report without clearly stated testing conditions is essentially worthless. Therefore, the following outlines some testing conditions stipulated in national standards to help you better communicate and cooperate with testing agencies in future air quality tests, while also supervising the agencies' standardized operations to obtain more objective and reliable test conclusions.

　　1. Testing should be arranged at least 7 days after the completion of decoration and renovation. Many consumers believe that immediate testing after renovation is best, but in fact, the curing period for paints and coatings is generally 7 days. Within these 7 days, the concentration of various pollutants is at its highest. After 7 days, it generally decreases to a stable state, which is the optimal time for testing.

　　2. Indoor air pollutant concentrations are closely related to the time external doors and windows are closed. The longer the external doors and windows are closed, the higher the indoor pollutant concentration. Radon testing should be conducted after external doors and windows have been closed for 24 hours. For the other four pollutants, testing is stipulated to be conducted after sufficient ventilation, and then closing external doors and windows for 1 hour. This considers the accumulation process of pollutants and the actual regulations of normal human work and life. In addition, for buildings with centralized air conditioning, sampling and testing should be conducted while the air conditioning is operating normally.

　　3. The pollutant concentration limits stipulated in national standards (except for radon) are all values after subtracting the outdoor air blank. This means that it is necessary to measure both indoor and outdoor pollutant content; the difference between the two is the pollutant content caused by indoor building and decoration materials. Since outdoor air pollution is not something that building and decoration units can control, especially when many residents in a building are renovating simultaneously, and the surrounding air pollution of the building has reached a certain level, measuring outdoor air pollutant content is particularly important for determining indoor air quality. Some non-standard testing units often ignore this and do not conduct outdoor measurements, which consumers should supervise.

　　4. Currently, national standards allow for on-site portable instrument testing of radon and formaldehyde. However, for ammonia, benzene, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), sampling must be done on-site and sent to a laboratory for measurement. National standards stipulate strict technical conditions for on-site portable instruments. It is difficult for ordinary consumers to determine whether a testing unit's instruments meet the requirements. The simplest way is to require the testing unit to present a (calibration) certificate issued by the metrology department for the instruments used.

　　5. Consumers' concern for the quality of their living environment is a good thing, but rational consumption is also necessary. After all, air quality testing fees are an additional burden for individuals. Consumers should be clear about the purpose of the test: Is it as evidence to resolve disputes, or to understand their living environment to improve their quality of life? If it is to resolve disputes, it is essential to find a qualified testing unit. The room cannot contain any externally purchased furniture, and the above-mentioned external testing conditions must be strictly followed. If it is simply to understand one's living situation, analyze the types of decoration materials used in the home and potential pollutants. Based on long-term testing results from the Nuclear Industry Beijing Geological Research Institute, formaldehyde, benzene, and TVOC are the most seriously exceeding standards in Beijing. Consumers can selectively choose some testing items; there is no need to pursue "all" items.

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