BREEAM indoor air quality
BREEAM indoor air quality monitoring
BREEAM Hea 02 rewards measurable indoor air quality outcomes — a documented IAQ plan, low-emission materials and pre-occupancy testing. Independent monitoring provides the defensible data project teams need to demonstrate compliance.
What we measure
Core BREEAM-relevant indoor air parameters
Hea 02 focuses on a specific pollutant set with published threshold values. We measure each parameter using methods aligned with the credit's evidence requirements.
HCHO
30-minute reference value ≤ 100 µg/m³.
Compounds
≤ 300 µg/m³ for the highest credit tier.
Particles
Outdoor ingress and indoor sources.
Ventilation
Proxy for fresh-air supply per occupant.
Pre-occupancy testing
Sampling after substantial completion but before handover, in representative occupied zones agreed with the BREEAM assessor.
Laboratory analysis
Formaldehyde via DNPH cartridge and HPLC; TVOC via sorbent tube with thermal-desorption GC-MS.
Ventilation context
Measured fresh-air supply and CO₂ trends provide the dilution baseline that interprets pollutant concentrations.
Reporting for assessors
Written report with methods, results against published thresholds and the evidence pack format assessors expect.
When to commission
Typical BREEAM IAQ monitoring scenarios
New-build commercial offices, schools and healthcare estates targeting BREEAM credits; major refurbishments where Hea 02 forms part of the assessment; and fit-out projects where the contractor is asked to provide pre-occupancy IAQ evidence.
Pair pre-occupancy testing with post-refurbishment air testing and ongoing continuous air quality monitoring.
Benchmarks
Reference values used in BREEAM IAQ reporting
| Parameter | Reference value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde (30-min) | ≤ 100 µg/m³ | WHO IAQ guideline / BREEAM Hea 02 |
| TVOC | ≤ 300 µg/m³ | BREEAM Hea 02 (highest tier) |
| PM2.5 (24-h) | < 15 µg/m³ | WHO 2021 |
| CO₂ | < ~800 ppm above outdoor | BS EN 16798-1 Cat II |
| Fresh-air rate | ≥ 10 L/s/person | BS EN 16798-1 / CIBSE TM40 |
Plan BREEAM Hea 02 monitoring for your project
Pre-occupancy formaldehyde, TVOC, particulate and CO₂ measurement with a written report for the BREEAM assessor.
Request BREEAM IAQ monitoringRelated services
Specific parameters