An assessment of the health risk due to the indoor air quality in an air-conditioned office building in Taipei

Carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), bacteria, fungi, airborne particles with a particle diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10), airborne particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) are defined as indoor air pollutants in Taiwan. These pollutants primarily cause illness in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and/or allergy and infection. The health risk and its possible sources are the key concerns of this study. This study proposes a procedure to determine it a non-cancerous risk, for which the reference concentration (RfC) is the most important factor. A diagnosis of high risk is also of importance, because it can be used to find the possible risk sources and to eliminate the risk in advance.