Dubai: The quality of ventilation in new buildings has been the subject of debate across social networking sites.
A recent allegation on social media claimed that newly-painted walls were toxic, and posed as a threat to the public’s safety.
In response to the rumours circulating on a number of social networking sites, Dubai Municipality confirmed that there is no basis for residents to worry about harmful paint.
“There are laws that ensures adequate ventilation for residents of the building, and the quality of the internal air [is monitored] by conducting internal air quality checks,” said Dubai Municipality.
Once the buildings are constructed, quality checks are carried out and the residential tower is then awarded a certificate of internal air quality.
“Paints and coatings have the same certificates from the Dubai Central Laboratory or one of municipality's departments, that approves their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) do not exceed the permissible limits,” said the municipality.
According to Dubai Municipality’s guideline to indoor air quality in buildings, smoking must be limited to designated areas, and automatic sensors should be installed throughout the building to adjust temperature, humidity, and ventilation.
There are a range of factors that cause indoor pollution, such as emissions from building materials, permeability of the walls, and ventilation rates, as well as the emissions of products used indoors.
