BVKB inspected 440 sales locations from March 30 to April 9, located in different cities of Latvia and varying by area. The office said the results were good. This year starting February, air quality was tested at 748 retail locations.
Poor air quality, with CO2 levels above 1000 particles per million (ppm), was detected in April at 65 sales locations, or 15%, approximately the same as in the tests carried out in February 2021.
Poor air quality was found more frequently in small sales areas, which tend to be associated with the failure to operate mechanical ventilating equipment, BVKB said. Given the onset of warmer weather conditions, some of the venues surveyed were being ventilated, doors and windows open.
According to the World Health Organization, poor ventilation can contribute to the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases.
The concentration of CO2 or carbon dioxide is considered to be one of the most effective indicators of indoor air quality and purity. If it ranges from 400 to 600 ppm, it is considered to be a very good air quality indicator, if the CO2 concentration is between 600 and 1000 ppm, medium, and, if the carbon dioxide exceeds 1000 ppm, low air quality.
The measurements on behalf of the Ministry of Economics were performed by BVKB in cooperation with the Hygiene and Occupational Diseases Laboratory of Riga Stradiņš University and “Ko tu elpo” Ltd.
