Healthy indoor air is our fundamental need: the time to act is now

A ccording to estimates by the World Health Organization, polluted outdoor air kills over 7 million people annually. In 2021, the WHO published new air quality guidelines to serve as the basis for setting or updating national ambient air quality standards. This document can also be the basis for setting national indoor air standards, as the recommended air pollution levels apply both to outdoor and indoor air. Will national jurisdictions update their indoor air quality (IAQ) standards? The shocking reality is that most countries, including Australia, do not have any IAQ standards or even plans to establish them. The handful of countries that have standards do not have the means and procedures to enforce them; therefore, they do not serve their purpose.