Praachi K Verma

Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality or IAQ refers to the quality of the air within and around your building such as your home, school or office. Ae per ​EPA​, an average American spends 90% of their time indoors - especially during colder weather. Thus, indoor air quality requires attention as it as an essential determinant of a healthy lifestyle. Every household acts as a potential source of pollutants like carbon monoxide, radon, formaldehyde, asbestos, and hydrocarbons, to name a few. Not just that, the concentration of certain pollutants is up to 5 times higher in indoor air. All these factors sometimes make your indoor air more toxic than the pollution outside. Why indoor air quality is important for overall good health Indoor air quality is not an environmental but a serious health issue. Indoor air pollution often results in or flares chronic lung problems like ​asthma​ and ​COPD​. The presence of pollutants like radon, formaldehyde, and asbestos fibers in the indoor air has significant carcinogenic effects. Children spend most of their time indoors, especially in urban areas. As per ​WHO​, household air pollution almost doubles the risk for childhood pneumonia and is responsible for close to half of the deaths from pneumonia among children less than 5 years old. Immediate effects of indoor air pollution mimic flu-like symptoms including headache and sinus congestion. Sometimes, people suffer from ‘perpetual cold’ and often overlook bad air quality as being the cause. Prolonged exposure to indoor air pollution can be severe or even fatal, especially for the elderly, children, and persons with compromised immunity. Stroke, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer are examples of few such diseases caused by indoor air pollution. Causes of Indoor Air Pollution Often, we are not aware of the presence of any pollutants, but unfortunately, we ourselves bring most of these pollutants to our home. Hazardous pollutants affecting air quality can come from various sources like: ● ● ● ● ● ● Carpet and rugs​: They are a source of dust, mites, pet hairs, particle pollution, mold spores, lead, and pesticides. Indoor combustion​: From tobacco, wood, coal, and cooking. It can release particulate matter and carbon monoxide into the household environment. Furniture chemicals, household cleaners, paints, air fresheners, and insecticides​: These products release volatile organic compounds (VOC). Heating, cooling systems, and humidifiers: Releases dust, pollens, and molds into the air. Deteriorating or damaged insulations, fireproofing or floor tiles: They lead to suspension of asbestos fibers in indoor air. External Factors: This leads to the presence of radon, nitrogen dioxide, and other environmental pollutants in indoor air. How to Know If Air in Your House is Unhealthy Certain health effects indicates air quality issues, such as; ● Constant sneezing or coughing ● Shortness of breath on mild exertion ● Dry itchy skin ● Eye, nose, and throat irritation ● Headaches and dizziness If you have these symptoms then you should discuss them with your GP to know if they could be related to poor indoor air quality. Also, check If these symptoms appeared after you have moved to a new house, recently refurbished your home or have treated your home with pesticides. You can test the air quality at your home with an AQI monitor. We recommend using an AQI monitor like ​Eve Room - Indoor Air Quality Monitor​. It gives a real-time snapshot of the air quality, temperature, and humidity in your home. The federal government recommends measuring the level of radon in your home. You can use Airthings Wave Smart Radon Detector​ to measure the radon gas level at your home. How to Control Indoor Air Pollution Here’s how we can minimize air pollution in our homes: ● ● ● ● Avoid smoking indoors. Increase ventilation by opening up your doors and windows. Use exhaust fans or an extractor hood to vent your kitchen and bathrooms. Keep your house clean with regular dusting. Use a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter to remove allergy causing pollens and dust mites. ● ● ● ● ● Avoid using air fresheners. Check and clean your air filters and ducts regularly. Wash beddings and curtains regularly. Avoid using products and chemicals that contribute to indoor air pollution. Instead, use safer household products. Use zero VOC paints on your walls. How to Improve Indoor Air Quality Sometimes, the air quality index or AQI is so poor, especially in populated cities, that keeping the air quality as clean as possible at your home becomes important for your health. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve indoor air quality. Plants Plants have been known to reduce stress and boost up your mood, but guess what, they are also effective at purifying indoor air. Some plants act as oxygen bombs to drastically reduce indoor air pollution. A ​study performed by NASA revealed that houseplants are capable of decreasing the CO2, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and particulate matter concentrations by 55%, 70%, and 30% respectively. Let’s look at some of these easy-to-grow houseplants that are very effective at removing pollutants from your home. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● English ivy Snake plant Aloe vera Spider plants Daisy Peace lily Devil’s ivy Areca palm Air Purifiers This expensive but effective air purifying option is a thoughtful investment to improve the quality of your life. They are capable of removing pollens, smoke, dust, and even some gases from your home. We recommend air purifiers with HEPA filters as these are efficient at removing fine particles and common allergens from your home. Some of the best air purifiers are: ● Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier It is a smaller and affordable option that claims to purify 99% of the airborne pollutants. Its filter can remove cooking and smoking odors. It is suitable for rooms between 100 and 175 square feet in dimension. ● Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 Air Purifier Its mechanical filtration system uses activated carbon to remove the smallest bit of airborne pollutants. It also tells you the real-time AQI at your home with 5 different light color options. ● Airmega 400 Smart Air Purifier It is a great option to purify a bigger room or apartment as it can cover up to 1500 sq ft. It claims to clean the air twice in an hour and can remove up to 99.97% of pollutants. Sources​: 17 Simple Ways to Prevent Air Pollution in Your Home health.clevelandclinic.org Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) www.epa.gov DANGERS OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION www.nytimes.com How Indoor Air Pollution Works howstuffworks.com Indoor air quality risks www.who.int The Best Air-Purifying Plants for Your Home www.healthline.com Indoor Air Pollutants and Health https://www.lung.org/indoor-air-pollutants/