Pollutants in the home or workplace can pose a serious health risk. If there is a suspicion of air quality pollution, for example due to the occurrence of various symptoms (“sick building syndrome”), an air measurement can provide clarity.
For example, pollutants can be measured precisely in-house with the GSA measuring device SG350ex. This can also be used to detect explosive gases. If harmful dusts are suspected to be present, particle measurements of different dust fractions such as A-dust and E-dust are also possible with the GSA measuring devices SG10-2A, for example.
What are pollutants?
The term pollutants refers to all substances that pose a risk to health and the environment. This includes both acute and chronic effects. Contact with these substances is almost inevitable, as some are present in the ambient air. The hazard potential therefore depends on various factors. These factors include the type of substance (substance-specific hazards such as toxicity), substance concentration (how much is exposed) and exposure duration (how long is exposure to the substance).
Pollutants at the workplace
Contact with pollutants may occur at the workplace during the course of work. In these cases, the employer must prepare a risk assessment. This must list the pollutants and the necessary safety measures. The employer must give the employee a safety briefing and document it. The legal basis is provided by the Hazardous Substances Ordinance and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Harmful substances in the home
Exposure to pollutants can also occur in the private environment. They can be present in different forms: as dusts, aerosols or fumes. Such exposure can be caused by renovation or refurbishment work that results in dust exposure. New furniture or paint coats can also be the trigger when substances are released into the ambient air; this is generally described as“outgassing“. One example of this is the occurrence of formaldehyde.

Dangers
Exposure to pollutants over a longer period of time can lead to health problems. These symptoms range from irritation of the mucous membranes to headaches and breathing difficulties.
A legal regulation for the protection of employees can be found in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the risk assessment. In addition, the occupational limit value (OEL) must be observed and exposure to pollutants at the workplace must always be kept as low as possible.
How can this be remedied?
Both in the office and at home, regular air exchange is necessary to remove a large proportion of unwanted air components. The easiest way to do this is to air the room regularly (at least 3 times a day) by opening the windows wide for approx. 10 minutes to allow air exchange to take place. This removes moisture and any pollutants from the indoor spaces.
If there is a higher level of pollution (e.g. due to renovations), it may be useful to use dehumidifiers (prevents mould growth) or air purifiers (removes dust, soot, etc.).
You can arrange a personal consultation with us at any time about the measurement options.
Sources:
[1] Source image:
[10] © ginasanders / 123RF.com
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