WELL Performance Testing

Clean, healthy air is one of the most important components of a high-performing building environment. It is also a core indicator of overall building wellness and occupant well-being.

As part of WELL Performance Testing, we perform comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) assessments to measure the concentration of key pollutants, including:

• Particulate Matter: PM2.5, PM10
• Organic Gases: Formaldehyde, Toluene, Benzene
• Inorganic Gases: Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O₃), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂)
• Radon

Why Do We Test Air Quality in Building Environments?

Poor indoor air quality is directly associated with a range of significant health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, headaches, dry throat and eye irritation, more frequent asthma attacks, an increased risk of certain cancers.

WELL sets strict, science-based thresholds for indoor pollutants to:

• Reduce long-term health risks
• Improve cognitive function and overall occupant performance
• Verify that building systems are delivering clean, healthy indoor air
• Support continuous improvement in building environment quality

Through precise measurement and data-driven validation, air quality testing helps ensure your building provides a safe, healthy, and high-performing environment for everyone inside.

We test both water quality indicators and drinking water quality to ensure that buildings deliver safe, clean water essential for occupant health and well-being. Through WELL Performance Testing, we verify whether water systems protect from microbial contamination, chemical pollutants, and other risks that may affect long-term health.

We measure two primary indicators:

• Turbidity
• Total coliform bacteria

These parameters help us evaluate filtration effectiveness, the sanitary integrity of the water supply, and whether supplemental filtration or disinfection may be needed. Turbidity and coliform levels can signal microbial contamination, treatment system failures, reduced disinfectant performance, and both aesthetic and safety concerns. Elevated turbidity, in particular, can shelter microorganisms and lower the effectiveness of disinfectants. Controlling these indicators is essential to maintaining safe, high-quality water for building occupants.

Drinking Water Quality

We also assess a broad range of chemical parameters, including:

• Chemical contaminants: lead, copper, arsenic, and others
• Disinfection byproducts: THMs, HAAs
• pH and free chlorine levels
• Additional regulated chemical indicators

Water chemistry can vary significantly due to natural mineral deposits, industrial or agricultural runoff, corrosion within plumbing systems, or reactions between disinfectants and organic matter that create harmful byproducts. Such contaminants may contribute to long-term cancer risks, organ damage, or exposure to heavy metals.

Comprehensive testing ensures that drinking water meets science-based health thresholds and supports a safe, reliable water supply for all building occupants.

We test both visual and circadian lighting conditions to ensure that building environments provide appropriate light levels that support comfort, productivity, and well-being across different age groups and activities.

Visual Lighting (Illuminance Levels)

Our evaluation includes:

• Light level measurements (lux levels) on work surfaces
• Evaluation of lighting uniformity
• Comparison to recommended illuminance levels
• Age-appropriate lighting assessment

Appropriate visual lighting enhances task accuracy, comfort, perception of space, and overall safety while helping to reduce eye strain for building occupants.

Circadian Lighting (Vertical Illuminance at Eye Level – EML)

We measure vertical illuminance at eye height, along with the spectral characteristics, timing, and duration of light exposure.

This provides insight into whether a space delivers adequate circadian stimulus to support human biological rhythms.

Proper circadian lighting plays a key role in sleep quality, hormone regulation, mood, and metabolic health. Disruptions to the circadian cycle have been linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, depression, increased cancer risk, and poor sleep. By validating circadian lighting performance, we help ensure that indoor environments align with occupants’ internal clocks, which are fundamental to human well-being.

We measure key thermal comfort parameters to evaluate whether indoor environments provide stable, comfortable conditions for the majority of occupants. Our assessment includes:

• Air temperature
• Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT)
• Air movement
• Relative humidity
• Metabolic rate and clothing assumptions
• Thermal performance across individual zones

These measurements determine compliance with established thermal comfort models, such as the PMV/PPD and adaptive comfort standards.

Thermal comfort directly impacts productivity, cognitive performance, mood, and overall health. Poor thermal environments can lead to overheating, contributing to respiratory difficulties, fatigue, and stress, while cold conditions may cause musculoskeletal strain and persistent discomfort. In some cases, inadequate thermal control is also associated with symptoms of sick building syndrome.

Through comprehensive testing, we ensure that thermal conditions support occupant well-being, minimize discomfort, and reflect optimized building performance.

We measure key acoustic parameters to understand how sound behaves within the building environment and how it affects occupant comfort, focus, and overall well-being. Our assessment includes:

• Ambient background noise levels
• Reverberation time (RT)
• Sound insulation and sound barriers
• Speech clarity indicators

Testing considers both internal and external noise sources that influence the acoustic experience of the space.

Excessive noise levels have been shown to reduce concentration and task performance, increase stress and cognitive fatigue, and contribute to cardiovascular issues such as hypertension and stroke. In educational settings, poor acoustics can also impair reading comprehension and learning performance.

Proper acoustic performance enhances speech intelligibility, privacy, and cognitive ease while improving overall environmental satisfaction. Effective sound management is a key component of a supportive and comfortable building environment.