National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO 16000‑41:2023.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee EH/2/5, Emissions to internal environments.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 August 2023.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a) patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 146, Air quality, Subcommittee SC 6, Indoor air.

A list of all parts in the ISO 16000 series can be found on the ISO website.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

Introduction

In our society, privately and professionally, people stay indoors most of the day. Therefore, the quality of the indoor air is very decisive for the quality of life and health. This especially applies to small children, sick people and other vulnerable groups of persons.

Numerous scientific studies verify the positive effects of good indoor air on the overall performance during learning (e.g. in kindergartens and schools) and working. A consequence of improved indoor air quality can be, for example, reduced sickness rates and absenteeism.

The entitlement to high-quality indoor air does not contradict economical aspects of energy- and cost-efficiency. Improvements in the quality of indoor air are achievable with simple measures, for example, change of behaviour patterns.

This document describes a procedure to classify the air quality of indoor spaces using quality classes. These quality classes enable the allocation of the room air to a high, medium or low quality. The quality classes are based on criteria for physical, chemical and biological parameters according to the state of science and research. These criteria can be both concentration values in the room air (e.g. with formaldehyde) as well as sensory and other findings in the room itself (e.g. with mould). The basis for classifying a measured value of a parameter in a quality class is the definition of class boundaries for quality classes A to C by national institutions, using guide values from national guidelines, European and international publications and trade literature.

The most frequent pollutant sources indoors are human activities (e.g. domestic-, hobby- and cleaning activities, tobacco smoke), combustion processes as well as building materials, furnishings and interior design materials. The exception is the radioactive inert gas radon, which mostly originates from the geological subsoil and enters the interior spaces via leaks in the building envelope.

A variety of substances can emit into the indoor air from the most diverse pollution sources. For this reason, the single analysis of a source or pollutant cannot be used as a substitute for an overall assessment of the indoor air. A meaningful assessment of the indoor air is only achievable by an overall assessment of all pollutant sources and substances.

This document is intended for specialists who deal with the assessment of indoor air in the course of planning, construction, operation and use of buildings (e.g. indoor-experts, architects, specialist planners of trades, building owners, building developers and contracting authorities, maintenance engineers, lessors). Also included are producers and distributors of products, that are installed and/or operated indoors (e.g. building products), and possible users.

1 Scope

This document specifies a procedure for the assessment of the indoor air quality that is valid for all interior rooms in residential and non-residential buildings with natural or mechanical ventilation, in which people do not only stay temporarily.

This document is applicable to indoor environments as defined in ISO 16000‑1.

The assessment of working materials in workrooms or workplaces in buildings, that are subject to statutory occupational safety specifications, are excluded from this document. In these rooms, only air constituents that do not originate from working materials can be assessed according to this document.

It is not possible to define classes with exact values for the individual pollutants, as the corresponding limit and guide values differ in individual countries. In addition, the values relate to different observation periods.

Aspects concerning electromagnetic fields, noise and vibrations and their effect on the indoor air quality are not the object of this document. The classification of further consequences and measures, such as organisational steps, structural engineering measures, renovation proposals, further human medicine appraisals and the like, are not the object of this document.

NOTE This document applies to of all types of indoor environments occupied by all kinds of persons, including regular users, clients and workers.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 General

4.1 Procedure

4.2 Parameters

5 Indoor air quality

6 Quality classes

7 Criteria for the definition of the quality classes

7.1 General

7.2 Main parameters

7.3 Secondary parameters

8 Assessment plan

8.1 Overview

8.2 Documentation and reports

8.3 Purpose of measurements

8.4 Preliminary survey

8.5 Investigation plan

8.6 Investigation

8.7 Report

8.8 Division in quality classes

Bibliography

BS ISO 16000-41:2023

Indoor air - Assessment and classification

Current

Published:

31 Aug 2023