Indices for IEQ and building-related symptoms

The best protection of human health from adverse environmental exposures is possible when both the disease and its specific causal exposures are understood.Building-related symptoms (BRS) have caused an increasing public and scientific concern about Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), for over 20 years. Yet there is still a lack of validated tools and strategies to identify and remedy those IEA problems.This paper sums up what is known about the causes and risks for building-related symptoms, discusses the characteristics a protective Indoor Environmental Quality "index" should have for building related symptoms. Two indices are commented along with recommendations.