Bacteria and mold may lurk undetected in carpets or in the heating or cooling system of your office or school. When inhaled, the by-products of these organisms can cause allergy and asthma symptoms. Chemical vapors emitted by office furniture and equipment may also foul the air we breathe indoors, causing headaches, eye irritation, or other symptoms.

Here the author of the best-selling My House Is Killing Me! and co-author of The Mold Survival Guide turns his attention to indoor air quality in public buildings. Blending his extensive professional experience with scientific explanations, May helps us see these buildings through the eyes of a building scientist, microscopist, and organic chemist. He offers a step-by-step approach to identifying, controlling, and often eliminating the sources of indoor air pollutants and allergens.

Whether it's a case of mold in an elementary school or inadequate ventilation in a high-rise office building, this valuable guide can help people cope when the air they breathe indoors is making them sick.

Jeffrey C. May is a building consultant, indoor air-quality professional, and the principal scientist of May Indoor Air Investigations LLC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has conducted indoor environmental investigations in thousands of buildings, including offices, schools, and homes; and he has personally analyzed over 20,000 air and dust samples. Widely published, May frequently lectures nationally about indoor air quality.