Indoor Air Quality Testing Procedure
Indoor Air Quality Testing Procedure – Why It Matters More Than Ever
For over 25 years, Perfect Pollucon Services has been helping businesses and homeowners in India assess and improve their indoor air quality. Poor indoor air can lead to respiratory diseases, allergies, fatigue, and long-term health risks.
Did you know? Studies show that indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air!
Why is this concerning?
🔴 Many people spend over 90% of their time indoors—at home, offices, schools, or shopping malls.
🔴 Pollutants such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), mold, CO₂, CO, and fine dust (PM2.5, PM10) degrade indoor air quality.
🔴 A lack of proper ventilation and air filtration worsens the situation, leading to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).
To ensure a safe and healthy environment, we recommend professional indoor air quality testing to detect pollutants, analyze air composition, and provide corrective solutions.
In this guide, we’ll explain:
✅ The step-by-step procedure for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) testing.
✅ The latest methods & equipment used.
✅ Common mistakes to avoid during IAQ testing.
✅ How to interpret your Indoor Air Quality Report.
Let’s dive in! 🚀
Read More About OurIndoor air Quality Monitoring & Testing Services
Indoor Air Quality Testing Procedure
Collection of information
Before starting indoor air quality testing a survey must be done. This survey will include the following categories of questions.
- Building type – Is the building a residential or commercial building, is it a new or old building
- Building materials used during construction of building
- Ventilation system
- No of people residing or working in the area being tested
- Diagnosis of health related problems and disease history of people residing or working in the area being tested
- Presence of equipments or activities carried which may release harmful pollutants that degrade indoor air quality
- Effectiveness of cleaning and housekeeping system
- Presence of mold, foul smell, dust
This survey will basically give the idea about possible pollutants present and will help us understand which method to be used for indoor air quality testing procedure.
Common Mistakes in Indoor Air Quality Testing
💡 Expert Tip: Don’t Make These Indoor Air Quality Testing Mistakes!
🔴 Relying Only on a Single Test Point: Air circulation is uneven indoors, so testing in just one spot can give misleading results.
✅ Solution: Always take measurements from multiple locations within the building.
🔴 Ignoring Ventilation & HVAC Systems: A major source of indoor air pollution is poor ventilation.
✅ Solution: Test near HVAC ducts, windows, and closed rooms to identify ventilation issues.
🔴 Not Considering Time-Based Variations: Pollutant levels fluctuate throughout the day.
✅ Solution: Conduct tests at different times (morning, afternoon, evening) to get an accurate reading.
🔴 Using Cheap, Uncalibrated Equipment: Many low-cost air quality meters provide inaccurate results.
✅ Solution: Use certified IAQ testing equipment or hire professional consultants (like us!).
Identification and Selection of Location
Once an overall analysis is done of the survey questionnaire, we can identify locations for indoor air quality testing. For testing of indoor air quality, more than one location is to be selected as the distribution of air indoors is not even.
Indoor Air Quality Sampling Methodologies
Indoor Air Quality Sampling Methods – How Professionals Do It
IAQ testing is conducted using various methods, depending on the type of pollutant present.
📌 Step 1: Identifying Common Pollutants in Indoor Air
- Chemical Pollutants: VOCs, CO, NO₂, SO₂, formaldehyde.
- Biological Contaminants: Mold, bacteria, dust mites, pollen.
- Particulate Matter: PM2.5, PM10, fine dust.
- Environmental Factors: Temperature, humidity, CO₂ levels.
📌 Step 2: Selecting the Right Testing Method
| Pollutant | Sampling Method | Common Equipment Used |
|---|---|---|
| VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) | Real-time detection | VOC Meter |
| CO (Carbon Monoxide) | Direct measurement | CO Analyzer |
| Formaldehyde | Chemical absorption method | Formaldehyde Sensor |
| PM2.5 & PM10 (Fine Dust) | Gravimetric sampling | DustTrak, Laser Scattering Sensors |
| Mold & Bacteria | Culture plate method, Swab test | Airborne Microbial Sampler |
| CO₂ Levels | Infrared gas analysis | CO₂ Monitor |
📌 Step 3: Duration of Testing
- Short-term tests (1–3 hours): Identify immediate air quality issues.
- Long-term tests (24–72 hours): Analyze trends and identify hidden pollution sources.
🔹 We recommend a combination of real-time and lab-based testing for accurate IAQ assessment.
Learn More About Indoor Air Quality Parameters In India
Indoor Air Quality Testing Equipment
After selection of Indoor air quality testing method and duration, samples can be collected using some of the following equipments to measure indoor air quality:
- VOC meter – This instrument can measure a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) , total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs)
- NOx meter – This device is used to measure Nitrogen oxide levels
- SO2 meter – It is used to measure Sulphur dioxide levels
- CO2 meter – This device measures real- time and average levels of Carbon dioxide
- Dusttrak – This instrument can measure PM1, PM2.5, PM10 Mass concentration and RSPM.
- Testo 480 IAQ Pro – This instrument can measure air flow, temperature, humidity and CO2.
- Indoor air quality testing kits – Full analysis including mold, dander, carcinogenic fibers, bacteria and dust
- Swab tests – Mold and bacteria can be sampled using swab tests
- Thermo-Hygrometer – Measures temperatures and humidity
If you wish to conduct indoor air quality testing by yourself then you can simply order an indoor air quality testing kit and perform sampling as mentioned in the manual. After collection of samples you can send them to the laboratory mentioned on the kit for generation of the report.
Read More about Indoor air Quality Standards
Indoor Air Quality Assessment Report
Understanding Your Indoor Air Quality Report
Once testing is complete, we generate an Indoor Air Quality Report that includes:
✅ Measured pollutant levels compared with CPCB & WHO standards.
✅ Possible sources of pollution (e.g., poor ventilation, mold, chemical emissions).
✅ Corrective measures & recommendations to improve air quality.
📌 Sample Indoor Air Quality Report Summary:
| Parameter | Measured Value | CPCB Standard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 75 µg/m³ | 60 µg/m³ | ❌ Poor |
| CO₂ | 1200 ppm | 1000 ppm | ⚠️ Moderate |
| VOCs | 0.3 ppm | 0.2 ppm | ❌ Poor |
| Humidity | 75% | 40-60% | ❌ Poor |
🔹 If pollutants exceed the recommended levels, we provide customized solutions such as:
✅ Installing air purifiers & dehumidifiers.
✅ Improving ventilation & air exchange rates.
✅ Using low-VOC materials in furniture & paint.
Below is the sample report for Indoor Air Quality Testing Procedure:
Improving quality of indoor air reduces the possible threats to our health. So, why not test the quality of our indoor air and make our way to achieving better health and quality life.
Learn More about Indoor Air Quality and Health
Perfect Pollucon Services offers Services in Indoor air quality testing & Analysis for Homes and offices. Please fill up contact us form to Know More.
You can use IAQ meters, VOC analyzers, and particulate counters, or hire professionals for lab testing.
It involves data collection, sampling, testing, and analysis to determine pollutant levels.
IAQ is measured using specialized equipment like CO₂ meters, dust sensors, and gas analyzers.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has set guidelines for PM2.5, CO, VOCs, and CO₂ in indoor spaces.
Get a Professional Indoor Air Quality Assessment Today!
With 25+ years of experience, Perfect Pollucon Services ensures accurate air quality testing and compliance with CPCB standards.
📞 Call us now for expert IAQ testing & solutions!
📩 Request a Free Consultation Today!
Nice article and great work. keep posting information like this
Thanks
Thank you Tushar for great response.
Keep reading our new posts..
Great post! Air Quality Testing is important part for our health. We should do Air Quality testing in a month.
It’s interesting to know that there are also testing kits available for air quality testing. I’m planning to get an indoor air quality testing service soon because I recently found out that my daughter is asthmatic. I have to make sure that I can make the necessary adjustments needed in order to make sure that my home is very safe for my daughter’s lungs.
I like that this post shared that when looking to have our indoor air tested, it is important to ensure we have the right equipment. It makes sense as in doing so, it ensures that our air quality will be properly managed. I will definitely keep this information in mind for future references.