How’s the air quality indoors? Residents urged to assess buildings
The Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health has issued an advisory to the public to analyse and assess commercial and residential buildings for indoor air quality issues.
A media release from the Ministry of Health said the division is seeking to raise awareness about such issues.
And according to Chief Environmental Health Officer, Lionel Michael, while mould is to be considered among indoor air quality concerns, other factors such as ventilation, the ability to get fresh air into buildings, exhaust, stale air, housekeeping, and external contaminants entering the building must also be considered.
“That is why it is imperative that we intensify our efforts to analyse and assess buildings, not just from an engineering and availability standpoint,” Michael stated while further advising residents to consider architectural, spatial, functionality and airflow before occupying a building.
The Environmental Health Division started assessing buildings for air quality issues more intensely in 2018 after the September 2017 hurricanes.
According to Michael, the findings from those assessments indicated that the main problems associated with poor indoor air quality include high concentrations of carbon dioxide, moisture, high air temperatures combined with very little to no ventilation and uncomfortable office settings.
He said furnishings, cleaning products, maintenance, personal care products in addition to vehicle exhaust, sewerage and the Sahara Desert dust are other general sources of air pollutants.
He added: “If you can see mould in a building that means that moisture is coming in from somewhere, because mould cannot grow without moisture. There may also be mould coming inside from sources outside such as trees, galvanise, garbage and other products that can blow the mould inside.”
The Environmental Health Division said persons having concerns regarding indoor air quality should first assess their homes and businesses and may contact the Division for advice.
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Lots of apartments are loaded with mold and these wicked an inconsiderate landlord still rent them out anyway. Some apartment’s especially the middle ones have little to no ventilation, not enough windows to let air flow and sunshine in. They charge hefty rent for these filthy apartment no human being should be living in these apartments not even for free. Even offices and work places are loaded with mold, schools and government buildings also. Why is this allow to happen in the BVI when this is illegal in countries like Canada and the UK and other places. This practice is and has caused a lot of illnesses in this country including Respiratory illness including asthma, aslso cancer. Stricken message should be put in place to stop this practice!!
Environmental Health, are these people serious. How can they claim to have an ounce of credibility when they allow the highly carcinogenic burning to continue at Pockwood pond.
That is not their area to deal with. That is the domain of solid waste department.
“They” might have to do something if it were 50,000 people who would be after them.
Unfortunately we have a mentality that “oh that’s not my problem so it’s not my problem”.
Most people probably can’t fathom why the old buildings like the old high school buildings used to be open to let air flow through from one side to the other.
Environmental Health of the Ministry of Health
True? Allyo serious?
These VI are of tropical climate and so, windows are open, we are outdoors, Outdoors,the natural environment is carcinogenic, gift of the Vi Government of which you are part…we cannot breathe freely..we are dying from the effects of deadly air in the environment.
The peoples of
these VI like everywhere else are entitled to clean air, It is a basic Human Right along with clean water.We are not provided with air filters or air conditioners or supplemental cost electricity.
Your agency sustains deadly Environmental air which we have no choice but to inhale in our lungs and you have the Audacity to ask obscenity. Allyo need God or a bullet or two.
Mr. Health Man GO F**K YOURSELF!!!! An emergency advisory needs to be put out with respect to the burning down at Pock Wood Pond. Everyone is calling for UK to come in and ‘help’ but their COI didn’t touch the corrupt Police, corrupt Prison, Rundown Schools nor the most important burning at Pock Wood Pond. How can you have an Environmental Health Dept running around acting like they care about ‘health’ and the burning continues years after it started. You all have no f**king shame!!!!
If you’re worried about mold, fix water leaks and control moisture instrusion in buildings. No mater = no mold growth.
Testing of airborne mold is fraught with problems if nothing else because of wide variability of results. There is the issue of how to collect the sample as well as the qualifications of the person collecting them. Should samples be collected for Viable or non viable spores or both? How many samples, where? On how many days? Where are these samples to be analyzed? By whom? What criteria will be used to assess the results? Where the results indicate a mold issue, there is usually visible evidence of mold growth, not to mention evidence of moisture.
Better advice is to maintain properties the way they should be. This could be achieved by buidling insoectors looking for defects in buildings that allow mosture intrusion/accumululation
How about they address the air quality for the residents of West End???? That open air burning of trash needs to STOP!!
This is a major issue. I’m glad to see it’s been talked about. The new structures being built and type of Windows lend itself to poor air quality and you can feel the difference when yiu feel sick and faint in the poor air circulation in lots of buildings and apartments versus well ventilated ones.