Indoor Environmental Health Specialists

From the early days of recorded history, humans tried to improve their indoor living conditions. For example, they sought to improve indoor air quality by experimenting with different ways to vent the unhealthy smoke generated by fires. They also tried to find ways to capture more of the heat generated from fires, most of which was vented from their structures with the smoke. Other concerns involved keeping their caves and, later, homes as dry as possible to limit mold growth and property damage. It was not until the hygienic revolution, which began around 1850, that scientists, mining engineers, medical professionals, and others began conducting extensive research on the adverse effects of indoor smoke, the transmission of infectious diseases through the air, and the appropriate amounts of fresh air that were required for indoor healthy living. In recent years, the unknowing use of harmful building materials (such as asbestos), the increasing airtightness of buildings (in an attempt to improve energy efficiency), and other factors created chronic unhealthy indoor environmental conditions, which the World Health Organization named Sick Building Syndrome in 1982. In the last four decades, much emphasis has been placed on improving indoor air and water quality, reducing safety risks, and addressing other issues. Indoor environmental health specialists have become significant players in this fast-growing industry. The U.S. Green Building Council says that “better indoor environmental quality can enhance the lives of building occupants, increase the resale value of the building, and reduce liability for building owners.”