ROSEMONT, Ill.—Feb. 14, 2022 —The Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA, today announced that its first official scientific paper has completed peer-review and been accepted for publication. The paper, “Biological Air Quality Considerations for Non-Healthcare, As Built Environments,” was developed with support from the National Airduct Cleaners Association (NADCA) and addresses several strategies for improving indoor air quality in facilities such as schools, restaurants, convention centers, and gyms.
“It was a privilege for our scientific advisory board to work with NADCA on this multi-authored paper which provides actionable steps to make facilities safer during and beyond the pandemic,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Achieving peer review and publication means that our paper has met standards for quality and importance to global health.”
The paper has been published in the GBAC-TIPS Journal, an open access journal founded by The Infection Prevention Strategy (TIPS) to advance innovations, ideas, and processes that make a difference in global health. The journal aims to provide access to evidence-based science through both peer-reviewed and perspective articles. The paper will also be indexed into Google Scholar and ResearchGate for the global scientific community to reference and cite in future publications.
Among the recommendations provided in the paper, is the importance of building commissioning to ensure HVAC systems function as designed and according to ASHRAE standards. Additional topics include risk mitigation, filtration and monitoring a building's indoor air quality.
“This accomplishment further demonstrates how GBAC prepares the world to respond to current and future biological crises,” said GBAC Senior Director and TIPS Co-Founder Michael Diamond. “The GBAC-TIPS Journal makes crucial scientific research and information like this paper accessible to the public to promote collaboration and make strides in improving public health.”