By Bob Baker

I recently returned from two trips to the Far East. These included stops in Hong Kong where I attended the ASHRAE Asia-Pacific Conference on the Built environment and presented a paper. This conference is held every three years and is a good gauge of what is of interest in building environmental science. I also attended the Healthy Buildings 2003 Conference in Singapore and presented a paper on the new IICRC S-520 Mold Remediation Standard. In addition, I visited in Bangkok and Beijing.

In every location, I visited hotels, conference centers and other hospitality facilities, inspected their current maintenance practices, and provided suggestions for improved maintenance. Without a doubt, there is a high level of interest in the quality of the indoor environments. For some, this may seem somewhat strange as each of these areas with the exception of Singapore have varying but generally high levels of outdoors air pollution. They recognize the challenges they face and are determined to achieve and maintain high standards.

Reasons for Change
There are many reasons for the desire to achieve new quality levels for indoor air quality. Most important is the significant and growing importance of tourism. The Asian economy is in a period of recovery and attracting tourists is an important component of economic growth for all countries in this area. They are making huge efforts to attract tourism from the West. The hotels and other hospitality facilities are generally of extremely high quality and operated with a level of service unequalled here. Many of the older properties are undergoing updates and are both modern and luxurious, yet reasonably priced.

Connected to this is the anticipation of the publicity and new exposure that the Beijing Olympics will bring. Mainland China and the associated territories especially are gearing up to put their best face forward as the image they project to visitors to the Olympics and those who watch the events from around the world will impact their attractiveness as a tourism destination for years to come.

Finally, the experience of SARS is ever in the background. Hong Kong and Beijing were most severely impacted by SARS. Tourism and even business travel came to a virtual standstill for months. Hotels in Hong Kong reported an average occupancy rate below 10% in the wake of the SARS outbreak. This not only served as a wakeup on the importance of public health measures, it focused attention on the importance of indoor environmental quality and the need to maintain a new level of cleanliness.

Implications for the US
These Asian countries are in much of the same place relative to IAQ that the US was in the early 1990s with two major exceptions: a) Largely due to SARS, the focus there is on fungal and bacterial growth indoors rather than on formaldehyde, dust and other particulate and chemical contaminates like it was here for many years. b) They have the advantage of the research we have done over the past 12-15 years and thus will progress much more rapidly in understanding and setting priorities for IAQ improvement.

Given the level of interest, motivation and the ability of Asian peoples to execute with excellence, it is possible that they will set new standards of quality for indoor environments. Many times we hear these countries spoken of as "sleeping giants". This is both because of the huge population base they can bring to bear on a problem or challenge and their dedication and focus. Initially, they will learn from us. Ultimately, they may well surpass us unless we continue to strive for higher standards for the indoor environment.

Mr. Baker's field of expertise is the control of contamination in air-conditioning and ventilating systems by mold, mildew and bacteria. He writes and speaks frequently about the efficacy, legal risks, and regulatory issues involved in various control strategies. He serves on ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 2.3, TC 2.4, TC 9.8, and Sampling of Airborne Particulate Concentration in Commercial and Residential Buildings GPC 17P. He also serves as a member of ASTM D22.06 (Indoor Air Quality) and is on the Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association and the Florida Public Health Foundation. Because HVAC applications encompass new uses from an U.S. EPA regulatory standpoint, Mr. Baker works closely with the EPA and industry groups, including serving as the chair of the IAQ committee of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, to help formulate policy in this area.

Bob Baker is Chairman and CEO of BBJ Environmental Solutions, Inc., a company specializing in providing clean air through environmentally responsible products, such as BBJ MicroBiocide , BBJ Micro Coil Clean , "FreshDuct Odor Eliminator ", and BBJ Mold and Mildew Remover™ as well as the revolutionary new Power Coil Clean™. For additional information, Mr. Baker can be reached at (800) 889-2251 or through the company web site at http://www.bbjenviro.com.