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People spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, making effective indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring crucial for occupants’ well-being. Traditional IAQ monitoring primarily focuses on carbon dioxide ( ) levels to inform the operation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, HVAC systems often overlook other critical IAQ metrics, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC), which may correspond better to occupant activities in some cases. This naturalistic study, conducted over four months at the University of Virginia, addresses this significant gap by observing changes in VOC and levels across various times, events, and spaces, including conference rooms, single occupancy offices, and common open-space areas. We aimed to determine whether can be the only representative of IAQ for dynamically adjusting the ventilation rates within this testbed. A key focus was on poor IAQ instances where levels were below the recommended levels, but VOC concentrations exceeded them, potentially impacting occupants’ health and well-being. Our results revealed that in the studied conference room, poor IAQ conditions prevailed 71% of the time during occupancy, in contrast to lower rates in single occupancy offices (11%, 7%, and 16%). Notably, while social events influenced levels less, VOC levels significantly increased in all open-space areas. These findings challenge the conventional reliance on monitoring for IAQ management, highlighting the necessity of incorporating comprehensive IAQ metrics in HVAC systems. The study underscores the critical need for dynamic HVAC systems that adapt to real-time IAQ conditions, a vital step towards enhancing indoor environmental quality in various settings.