As Delhi plunged into a public health emergency this week with pollution levels crossing permissible standards several times over, everyone’s focus is on air quality. In Delhi outdoor air quality index (AQI) crossed 440 at several places, and schools were ordered to be closed.

However, what about indoor air quality? According to several reports, 90 per cent of most people’s time is spent indoors. Just think about the office you are in and the kind of air you breathe there.

Two recent events have red-flagged the dangers of indoor air quality on employee health, and how corporates can address the issue by building green.

At GreenBuild India, held on November 3 in Mumbai, two sessions, ‘Working Well: Building Healthy Offices in India’ and ‘Working towards Wellness - Health and Well-Being of Corporate Employees in India’, discussed the issue.

The gist was that green-rated or LEED-certified buildings can improve the health and well-being of occupants, reduce sickness and contribute to greater productivity.

A case study of breathing better at work that was highlighted was that of Paharpur Business Centre (PBC), India’s first LEED Platinum building, where where the fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and CO2 levels are consistently well under control and limits. Compared to traditionally constructed buildings, at PBC the occupants had 34 per cent fewer respiratory ailments, 12 per cent fewer headaches, 52 per cent fewer eye irritations, 9 per cent less asthma and 20 per cent improvement in occupant productivity.

Earlier, in October, during the Green Buildings Congress in Jaipur, a Harvard University study showcased similar benefits. Experts at Harvard University had examined LEED-certified buildings in six countries, India, China, Brazil, Germany, Turkey and the US, and found that these yielded nearly $900 million in public health co-benefits from fewer deaths, hospital visits and lost days of work.

The study, sponsored by United Technologies, and led by Dr Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, showed that green-certified buildings delivered an additional $12 in health and climate benefits for every $1 saved in energy costs in India. According to Dr Allen, the buildings analysed in the Harvard research represent less than 5 per cent of India’s total commercial floor space. “Consider that, and you begin to get a sense of the enormous opportunity that exists to improve human health through energy-efficient buildings,” he said. Other corporates such as glass maker St Gobain too have released studies on green buildings that show the improved health of occupants.

Retrofitting an old building to meet green norms may cost a lot and require time. But hearteningly, many corporates are now investing in air purifiers. If you breathe better, you work better.

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