In the previous post, we’ve established that food retailers like supermarkets are significant contributors to pollutants and emissions to the environment. However, what people might tend to overlook is the fact that indoor air pollution in these commercial establishments can be very worrying. 

In a study titled Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Retail Stores, researchers found that ventilation rates in retail shops were lower than those of bars, restaurants and healthcare facilities. This means that pollutants including hydrofluorocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter and microbiological contaminants are trapped inside with us.

Fig 1 lists the 7 common indoor air pollutants and their associated health risks.

Fig 1: Common indoor air pollutants and their impacts (Source: Smith, 2015)

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures. IAQ levels fluctuate depending on several factors such as humidity, odors, chemicals, and the presence of outdoor air particles. Do you know that indoor air quality can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air? This is because indoor air is continuously recycled, trapping and leading to a build-up of pollutants. 

Poor IAQ is more than just a source of pollution. Besides creating unhealthy and dangerous living conditions, it can result in the development of headaches, fatigue, low concentration and lung problems. Prolonged exposure might even result in respiratory diseases and premature deaths. According to the World Health Organization, 4 million people die prematurely from indoor air pollution. Considering that the average person spends 90% of their time indoors, our health, well-being and quality of life are at stake. Fig 2 illustrates the gravity of indoor air pollution in 2019 across the world. Evidently, countries in Asia and Africa experience the highest death rates out of all other continents. 

Fig 2: Death rates caused by indoor air pollution worldwide (Source: Ritchie and Roser, 2022)

Back to the problem of leaked refrigerants trapped within the walls of supermarkets as well as other retail stores, statistics demonstrate that leaking 20-25% of refrigerant can amount to a shocking 70 Million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually. This has pushed retail owners to mitigate the problem as soon as possible. 

For instance, the GreenChill program, spearheaded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, works collaboratively with food retailers to help:

  • Transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants;
  • Lower refrigerant charge sizes;
  • Eliminate refrigerant leaks;
  • Implement best environmental practices; and
  • Adopt green refrigeration technologies.

By partnering with one-third of food retail locations in the US since 2007, the industry has successfully avoided 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), 583 metric tons of ozone depletion potential (ODP), and saved $582 million in refrigerant replacement costs. Its effectiveness shows how retailers can play their part in reducing environmental and financial costs, hopefully incentivizing more companies to take part in the program. 

 

Bibliography

Khenchi, A. (2022, April 28). Is indoor air pollution up to five times more dangerous than the outdoors? Retrieved from oxycom: https://www.oxy-com.com/blog-news/is-indoor-air-more-polluted-than-outdoors

Laake, L. (2017, March 7). How Retail Store Air Quality Can Make You Sick. Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retail-store-air-quality-sick-133200256.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABY8xV0UvyuUhOHJxGL87xk4ApmratKnFMXcYQzX8IbGmdtGBeSKa9gp-9w4hxHVtVyIFCCCcM6sk1QE1tmKRDGUMKY5uIB9fe

MSA. (2022, August 16). Reducing Grocery Store Refrigerant Emissions. Retrieved from Bacharach: https://www.mybacharach.com/reducing-grocery-store-refrigerant-emissions/

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2022, January). Indoor Air Pollution. Retrieved from Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/indoor-air-pollution

Zaatari, M., Nirlo, E., Jareemit, D., Crain, N., Srebric, J., & Siegel, J. (2014). Ventilation and indoor air quality in retail stores: A critical review (RP-1596). HVAC&R Research, 20(2): 276-294.