This website has been developed to explain the various ways in which indoor air quality testing can be conducted.

Indoor air quality testing can be conducted for many different contaminants. However it is important to note that some air sampling can be conducted with meters that provide instant readings and sometimes samples need to be sent to a laboratory for analysis and only then may results be obtained. Whether a meter is used for instantaneous results or samples sent to a lab it is essential to have some knowledge of what contaminants may be present and need to be sampled for. It is a common misconception that a sample of air can be taken and through lab analyses an exact composition and concentration of all contaminants can be provided. A lab will analyse the air sample for particular contaminants utilising specific methodology and only through this process of elimination will you be able to know what pollutants may be present.

It is therefore critical that a Building Biologist assess what contaminants may be polluting the indoor air and then sample accordingly. The process is made a little more complicated as particular air pollutants may have particular ways in which they must be sampled. A Building Biologist has extensive building design and building material knowledge. This enables them to understand how buildings, materials, HVAC systems / air conditioning systems interact and behave. This provides a quite unique insight into determining the indoor air quality problems and the simplest and most effective ways to resolve the issues and ensure better indoor air quality environments.

The most commonly requested indoor air quality tests are discussed on this site but specific air sampling for specific contaminants should always be discussed with a Building Biologist.