Indoor Air Quality

With the increased in number of cars, industries and commercial establishments in recent times, there is also an increase in pollutants in the air. So, let us ask ourselves: What are we really breathing?  The indoor air quality is rabidly deteriorating.

As we go out everyday, we encounter many risks to our health because of a number of environmental pollutants that is present in the air now.  We may be aware of this with the number of campaigns right now to decrease our carbon emission. However, air pollution is not only limited to outdoor air. They are also present inside our homes. We call the quality of air inside our homes as Indoor Air Quality or IAQ.  

However, what causes the decline or air quality inside our homes? The primary cause of air pollution inside our homes is gases or particles that are released into the air. Pollutants can come from combustion sources like oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood and tobacco products. They can also come from building materials and furnishings, asbestos containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, cabinetry or furniture made from pressed wood products, products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care products, central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices. There are also pollutants that come from outdoors like radon, pesticides and outdoor air pollution. 

More important, poor ventilation increases the levels of these pollutants inside our homes, because our homes cannot bring in enough outdoor air inside our homes, which can dilute the emissions from indoor sources. Poor ventilation also means that indoor air pollutants cannot be carried outside. High temperature and the level of humidity inside our homes can also increase these pollutants. 

So how can we improve the indoor air quality in our homes? There are three main strategies recommended by the EPA. These are source control, improved ventilation and air cleaners. Source control is the most effective way to improve air quality, because it means eliminating individual sources of pollution or reduce their emissions. Pollutant sources like asbestos containing materials can be controlled by sealing or enclosing it. Other sources like gas stoves can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions. It is also, a more cost efficient approach because you do not need to increase energy cost by controlling pollutant sources. 

Another way of decreasing indoor air pollutants is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. You can do this by opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open. This increases the outdoor ventilation rate.  Exhaust fans that exhaust outdoors can also remove contaminants directly from the room and increases air ventilation rate. 

Moreover, of course, there are air cleaners that can help remove indoor air pollutants. There are now many types and sizes of air cleaners available in the mark. Some air cleaners are very effective in removing particles from the air. However, air cleaners are not generally designed to remove gaseous pollutants. The effectiveness of air cleaners rely on its ability to collect pollutants from indoor air, which is its percent efficiency rate. Effectiveness is also measured on how much air it can draw through the cleaning or filtering element.  

With these strategies, you can increase the quality of air inside your homes. With the increase number of people suffering from asthma, about 23 million people, there is a need to breathe in cleaner air for a healthier life. With the asthma month coming in May, let us check and improve our indoor air quality.

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