Care for Your Home Air

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Why Indoor Air Quality is important?  

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Human lungs are not protected against modern chemicals and toxins that made their way to our home air. We inhale air together with toxins and dusts and those toxins go into our bloodstream causing harm.

There are numerous researched that confirmed connection between poor air quality and a range of short- and long-term health problems and conditions. We live in enclosed spaces where there is no natural air circulation and unless you open windows or use air treatment devices, you breath the same air over prolonged period of time.

UK Asthma Doctors regularly raise concerns about IAQ impact on children specifically as children (and elderly) are more vulnerable when exposed to toxicity.    

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Pollutants and Sources

 

Typical pollutants of concern include:

• Combustion by-products such as carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and environmental tobacco smoke.

• Substances of natural origin such as radon and mold.

• Biological agents such as molds.

• Pesticides, lead, and asbestos.

• Ozone (from some air cleaners).

• Various volatile organic compounds from a variety of products and materials.

Most pollutants affecting indoor air quality come from sources inside buildings, although some originate outdoors.

 

Indoor sources (sources within buildings themselves):
 

• Combustion sources in indoor settings, including tobacco, wood and coal heating and cooking appliances, and fireplaces, can release harmful combustion by-products such as carbon monoxide and particulate matter directly into the indoor environment.
   

• Cleaning supplies, paints, insecticides, and other commonly used products introduce many different chemicals, including volatile organic compounds aka VOCs which evaporate at room temperature, directly into the indoor air.
   

• Building materials are also potential sources, whether through degrading materials (e.g., asbestos fibres released from building insulation) or from new materials (e.g., chemical off-gassing from pressed wood products). Other substances in indoor air are of natural origin, such as radon, mold and ozone.
   

Outdoor sources: 

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• Outdoor air pollutants 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 neighbourhood. 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.