When we think and talk about air pollution, we tend to focus on outdoor air quality. However, according to the EPA some indoor pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations (1).
Today I will discuss reasons indoor air quality deserves your attention and some solutions to improve your air quality today.
What is indoor air quality
Indoor air quality refers to the air quality within and around our homes, schools, offices, or other building environments. It is determined by the level of dust, suspended particles and pollutants that are present.
What are sources of indoor air pollution
Most pollutants affecting indoor air quality originate from sources inside the building, although some originate outdoors. Indoor air pollution is one of the world’s largest environmental problems.
Some sources of indoor air pollution can include:
Fuel-burning combustion appliances such as wood and coal heating, cooking appliances, and fireplaces
Tobacco products
Building materials and furnishings
Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
Newly installed flooring, upholstery, or carpet
Cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products
Paints
Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies
Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices
Excess moisture / mold
Outdoor sources such as:
Radon
Pesticides
Outdoor air pollution
Outdoor sources can enter buildings through open doors, open windows, ventilation systems, and cracks in structures. Some pollutants come indoors through building foundations. For instance, radon forms in the ground as naturally occurring uranium in rocks and soils decays. The radon can then enter buildings through cracks or gaps in structures. Harmful smoke from chimneys can re-enter homes to pollute the air in the home and neighborhood. In areas with contaminated ground water or soils, volatile chemicals can enter buildings through the same process. Volatile chemicals in water supplies can also enter indoor air when building occupants use the water (e.g., during showering, cooking). Finally, when people enter buildings, they can inadvertently bring in soils and dusts on their shoes and clothing from the outdoors, along with pollutants that adhere to those particles.
What poor air quality does to the body
Immediate health effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue can appear shortly after a single exposure. Ever been in a room with someone with too much perfume and you developed a headache? Such immediate effects are usually short term and treatable by eliminating the source of pollution.
Other health effects may show up either years after exposure or after repeated periods of exposure. These effects may include some respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer (1). One example of this is the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) where long term exposure has been linked to cancer.
The link between some common indoor air pollutants and health effects is well established. For example, radon gas can cause lung cancer (2), carbon monoxide is toxic and short term exposure to elevated levels indoors can be lethal (3), numerous indoor air pollutants such as dust mites, mold, pet dander, tobacco smoke, cockroach allergens, particulate matter and others are “asthma triggers.” (4)
Things you can do to improve air quality
1. Open your windows. This is the easiest solution, and it is free!! Outdoor air quality will impact indoor air quality when you open your windows, so it’s a good idea to check outdoor levels first. You can check your phone’s weather app or a website called PurpleAir, which are based on the city you are in. If the Air Quality Index (AQI) is at a safe level, opening your windows for at least 5 minutes can increase air circulation, letting the stagnant air out and fresh air in. This is especially important if you have put in new carpet, furniture, or recently painted etc.
2. Use cooking vents or open the window when cooking. The things you cook everyday are a major contributor to your home’s indoor air quality, and the different sources used to cook them produce varying levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The type of stove you use can also affect indoor air quality, for example natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants into the air (5).
3. Use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. These types of air filters can remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (6).
4. Clean AC filters and air ducts regularly. Central air conditioning is a whole house air filtration system at your disposal. It works by pulling air out of your house, cooling it, and pumping it back in. The filter in the system can trap particles while it does its job. This ensures your home has cleaner, healthier, and fresher air.
5. Buy indoor plants to freshen the air. Plants add aesthetic value and clean your home’s air. Several houseplants filter out common volatile organic compounds from your indoor air (7,8,9). Some plants to consider are the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum), areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), and money plant (epipremnum aureum).
6. Take your shoes off. Outside dirt can carry pesticides, pollen, fungi, bacteria, and feces, to name a few.
7. Clean with non-toxic chemicals. Many store-bought cleaners contain toxic chemicals that can cause eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation (10). You can make your own household cleaner using ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, citrus juice, or essential oils. There are also plenty of great green companies selling products.
8. Air out new furniture. VOCs are found in things like glues, paints, fabrics, construction material more11. New furniture will emit VOCs more heavily at first then taper off. Air out as much as possible to allow VOCs to escape. If you can, keep it in your garage for a week, or keep the windows in that room open most of the day for the first few months.
9. Minimize or avoid anything that has fragrance or perfume. Air fresheners, scented candles, incense, fragrances, and other perfumes release harmful VOCs and other toxic chemical into the air that can impact your health and breathing (12). You can try more natural options, like essential oils. Some of my favorite quality brands include Doterra, Aura Cacia, and Aromatics International.
Be well!
References:
Comments