Indoor air quality is a broad field of expertise, and many figures circulate online on this topic. Whether you are a journalist, a scientist, or simply curious to learn more about the air you breathe, JVD presents a selection of key figures on indoor air quality (IAQ).
Concentration-related IAQ figures
Indoor air is up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air, according to OQAI.
In total, there are more than 5,000 pollutants in indoor air, according to Isabella Annesi-Maesano, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology.
A European standard defines the ideal indoor humidity level in homes as being between 30% and 70%. However, French medical professionals recommend a narrower guideline range of 40% to 60%.
Health-related IAQ figures
One in three people is allergic in France in 2023, according to the WHO, and this figure is expected to rise to one in two by 2050.
More than three out of four children in France breathe air that negatively impacts their health, according to UNICEF.
There is a 12-fold lower risk of coronavirus transmission in a classroom equipped with an air purifier, according to a project led by engineer Bert Blocken (KU Leuven / TU Eindhoven), virologist Marc Van Ranst (KU Leuven), and Leen Peeters (Th!nk E).
According to Dr. Laurent Nicod, Head of the Pulmonology Department at the Lausanne University Hospital (Switzerland), “living within 50 meters of a major road increases the risk of developing asthma by 180%.”
Healthcare-associated infections account for approximately 750,000 infections per year and are the direct cause of 4,000 deaths annually in France, according to INSERM.
Each year in France, nearly 40,000 deaths among people aged 30 and over are attributed to exposure to fine particles (PM2.5), according to Santé Publique France.
In 2019, air pollution caused approximately 9 million premature deaths worldwide, according to The Lancet Planetary Health.
Behavioral IAQ figures
80% of our time is spent indoors, according to the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
An average person breathes approximately 15,000 liters of air per day, according to Recosanté.
According to the Canadian Lung Association, an average adult breathes more than 900 times per hour.
On average, 16% of hotel guests complain about unpleasant odors, according to Coach Omnium.
Whenever possible, windows should be opened for at least 5 to 10 minutes per day to maintain CO₂ levels below 800 ppm, which corresponds to recommended threshold values for frequently occupied spaces (meeting rooms, open spaces).
HEPA air purifiers can improve productivity by up to 11% in indoor environments, thanks to their positive impact on air quality, according to the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health.
Short-term sick leave decreases by 10% when indoor air pollutants are reduced by half in workplaces, according to a REHVA study.
The cost of absenteeism linked to poor indoor air quality is estimated at €450 per employee per year, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
The cost of urban air pollution is estimated at €1,200 per inhabitant per year in the metropolitan areas of Lyon and Grenoble, according to INSERM and CNRS.
