When you think "air pollution," the images that come to mind probably involve smokestacks, tailpipes and gray clouds of nastiness floating skyward. You probably think that air pollution takes place outside.
And it does.
But that's not the only place where air pollution is a concern. Pollution also affects the air quality in homes and offices, and most of us have greatly underestimated how compromised our indoor air quality may be. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, "The air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities."
That's right--your indoor air may be more polluted than the air outside. And most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, in our homes.
"Since we live in the upper Midwest and our homes are sealed for months on end, indoor air quality awareness is imperative," says Mike Metz, vice-president of Universal Renewable Energy, a Twin Cities company dedicated to improving energy-efficiency and indoor-air quality in homes and businesses. "People need to understand that the air you breathe is essential to your overall health."
Polluted air can mean unpleasant odors, allergies, asthma, fatigue, and over time, even heart disease or cancer. There is good news, though, for while you may not be able to control pollution from factories or highways, you can stop pollution in your home.
Who are the culprits?
Air pollution can come from innocuous sources like family pets, dust mites, dryers, space heaters, gas stoves, fireplaces, cleaning products or new carpets and furniture. On the other hand, it can also come from well-publicized contaminants such as asbestos, pesticides, mold, tobacco smoke or, in the case of radon, from the surrounding ground. "We always believe what we can't see won't hurt us, but what's in our air is hurting us," says Chuck Wittman of UltimateAir, Inc., a company that designs products that keep the air healthy. "Your home is always polluting itself...and the air quality can be five to ten times worse than outside air."
Homes built to be energy-efficient may be so airtight that pollution created indoors stays indoors. Inadequate ventilation means the dirty air inside isn't being replaced by fresh outdoor air fast enough to keep air quality at optimal levels.
How can you tell if you're affected?
Of all the pollutants, only radon can be measured by an inexpensive detector. But there are other tests you can do to determine if you have air-quality issues in your home. "Having an indoor air quality test is the first step in any process before a strategy can be put in place," Metz says. "Testing the air particles, humidity level, dew point, ambient CO2, CO, radon levels and wet bulb (moist air testing) will give us the information needed to form a strategy to resolve air quality issues."
You can also do your own smell test. Look around your home for the sources of pollution--if you have pets, or a fireplace, or can sense lingering smells, your air quality is suspect. Take another look around your house for signs that the indoor air is not making a rapid getaway through ventilation. Do you see build-ups of moisture, or even mold? If so, your air quality is not what it should be, either. Finally, assess your own health--do you have allergies or irritated eyes? "If you feel better being outdoors than indoors, you probably have a problem," says Wittman.
A three-pronged attack: Pollution sources, dirty air, and inadequate ventilation
Ultimately, your indoor air quality will vary depending on what sorts of pollutants you have in your home, how quickly they leave your home, and how well you clean the air in your home. If you can decrease the number of polluters in your home, increase the efficiency with which they are ventilated and replaced by outdoor air, and purify the air inside, you can fight the battle on three fronts, increasing your chances of winning.
Start at the source
The simplest steps are to banish tobacco smokers to the yard and clean dusty areas often. Household radon at low levels can be controlled easily, but at high levels, professional help is needed--check out the EPA's Radon information page. Seal off areas containing asbestos, avoid using harsh chemicals as you clean your home, and try to air out new furniture and carpets before bringing them inside.
Keep air clean and flowing
You can't get rid of your dryer, humidity-producing shower, or stove, but you can make sure that dryers, bathrooms and cook stoves all ventilate to the outside. The EPA also suggests installing a mechanical ventilation system to ensure indoor-air quality. Even "fresh" air from outside can be compromised by vehicle pollution or plant-based allergens. That's why a comprehensive approach to maintaining air quality involves cleaning the air as it enters the home as well. An ERV (energy recovery ventilator) like Ultimate Air's RecoupAerator 200DX, "exhausts the pollutants, toxins, and contaminants, and filters the incoming air--filtering out allergens, supplying your home with clean, fresh, healthy air," says Wittman.
Such systems continuously expel polluted indoor air while maintaining the home's temperature and controlling humidity. To find out how your family's indoor air quality can be improved with mechanical ventilation and filtration, contact Universal Renewable Energy for an assessment.
Feel the difference
Life with high-quality indoor air means less chance of allergy attacks, asthma attacks, less dust and lingering pet or cooking odors--and that's just in the short run. In the long run, you could be saving your family from respiratory problems and heart disease as well as eliminating their exposure to carcinogens. That will surely leave you breathing easier, in more ways than one.
Article provided by LiveGreenTwinCities.com
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