Three employees on the second floor of a commercial office building in Augusta have been complaining about headaches and sinus irritation for weeks. The building manager checks the HVAC filter, which looks fine, and opens a window for a few hours. The complaints continue. Eventually someone suggests the new carpet installed two months ago might be the problem. It is. The carpet and adhesive are off-gassing formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds at levels well above what most occupants can tolerate.
According to the EPA, Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, and indoor air pollutant concentrations are often two to five times higher than outdoor levels. In office environments, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the most common and least recognized sources of occupant complaints.
What’s in Your Office Air
Indoor air contains a mix of pollutants from sources both inside and outside the building. In commercial offices, the most common culprits include:
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
VOCs are gases emitted by a wide range of products and materials. In an office setting, sources include new carpet and flooring, paint and adhesives, office furniture (particularly items made with pressed wood or particleboard), cleaning products, printer and copier emissions, dry-erase markers, and even personal care products used by occupants.
Common VOCs found in office environments include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylene glycol. Many of these compounds cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat at low concentrations. At higher concentrations, some are associated with more serious health effects. The EPA notes that VOC concentrations are consistently higher indoors than outdoors, typically by a factor of two to ten.
Particulate Matter
Particulate matter (PM) refers to tiny particles suspended in the air. PM10 (particles 10 micrometers or smaller) can irritate the respiratory tract. PM2.5 (particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller, about 30 times thinner than a human hair) can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
In offices, particulate sources include outdoor air infiltrating the building, printer and copier toner, dust from HVAC systems, construction or renovation activities, and mold spores. Poor filtration in the HVAC system allows these particles to circulate continuously.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
CO2 is not a pollutant in the traditional sense, but elevated levels indicate inadequate ventilation. In occupied spaces, CO2 is produced by human respiration. Outdoor concentrations are roughly 420 ppm (parts per million). Well-ventilated offices maintain levels below 800 to 1,000 ppm. When levels exceed 1,000 ppm, occupants begin reporting stuffiness, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and headaches.
OSHA considers CO2 levels a proxy for overall ventilation adequacy. If CO2 is high, it means the HVAC system is not bringing in enough outdoor air relative to the occupancy of the space.
Biological Contaminants
Mold spores, bacteria, and allergens from HVAC systems, water-damaged materials, or high-humidity environments can degrade indoor air quality significantly. In the Augusta area, where outdoor humidity regularly exceeds 70% during summer months, moisture intrusion and HVAC condensation are common sources of biological contamination in commercial buildings.
Sick Building Syndrome
When multiple occupants in a building experience symptoms that appear related to time spent in the building but cannot be attributed to a specific illness, the condition is referred to as sick building syndrome (SBS). Symptoms typically include headaches, eye and throat irritation, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and respiratory discomfort.
SBS is not a medical diagnosis but a pattern that indicates the building itself is contributing to occupant health complaints. The EPA identifies several common contributors: inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from indoor sources, chemical contaminants from outdoor sources (such as vehicle exhaust entering through air intakes), and biological contaminants.
The pattern is usually clear: symptoms appear during work hours and resolve on evenings, weekends, and vacations.
What IAQ Testing Measures
Professional indoor air quality testing uses specialized instruments and laboratory analysis to measure specific pollutant concentrations and compare them to established guidelines. A typical IAQ assessment includes:
Real-time monitoring of temperature, relative humidity, CO2, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter using calibrated instruments. These readings provide an immediate snapshot of conditions.
VOC sampling using sorbent tubes or canisters that collect air samples over a defined period. Samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis, which identifies specific compounds and their concentrations.
Formaldehyde testing using dedicated sampling badges or active sampling methods. Formaldehyde is measured separately from general VOCs because of its prevalence in building materials and its specific health effects.
Mold air sampling using spore trap cassettes that capture airborne mold spores for laboratory identification and quantification.
Ventilation assessment measuring outdoor air delivery rates and comparing them to ASHRAE Standard 62.1 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality), which establishes minimum ventilation requirements for commercial buildings.
When to Test
Persistent occupant complaints. If employees or tenants are reporting symptoms that follow the sick building pattern, IAQ testing identifies the specific cause rather than guessing.
After renovation or new construction. New materials off-gas most aggressively in the first weeks and months after installation. If you’ve installed new carpet, painted, or completed renovation work and occupants are symptomatic, testing quantifies the exposure.
Water damage events. Any water intrusion, whether from a roof leak, plumbing failure, or flooding, can introduce mold and biological contamination that persists long after the visible water is cleaned up.
Routine due diligence. Some building owners and property managers include periodic IAQ testing as part of their building maintenance program, particularly in healthcare facilities, schools, and buildings with sensitive occupants.
What to Do
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Take occupant complaints seriously. Persistent symptoms that follow a building-related pattern are not imaginary. They indicate a measurable air quality issue that testing can identify.
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Check your HVAC basics. Before testing, confirm that filters are being changed on schedule, outdoor air dampers are functioning, and condensate drain pans are not backed up. These are the most common and most easily corrected sources of IAQ problems.
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Get professional testing when symptoms persist. If basic maintenance doesn’t resolve complaints, professional IAQ testing provides specific, actionable data about what’s in the air and where it’s coming from.
If your office or commercial building has air quality concerns, the EnviroPro 360 team can assess your situation and identify the source. Get in touch and we’ll help you get to the bottom of it.