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Many factors exist in the internal environment of building. These factors could be biological, physical, or chemical, and they determine the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of any given building. Indoor environmental quality and indoor air quality (IAQ) are used interchangeably in certain literatures; however, there is a fundamental difference between the two. While IEQ refers to the entire internal environment of a building, IAQ refers to the condition of air present within the building. All the factors that exist within a building contribute to the comfort of the occupants of the building and may affect occupants’ health and well-being. Sustainable construction aims at ensuring that buildings are energy efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainably built. It is also important that occupants are comfortable in their indoor environment. The factors that exist within the building, which may affect the occupants, must be considered during the building phase so that comfort is achieved.

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-811749-1.00003-1