Indoor Air Quality Misconceptions
The term “air quality” seems pretty straightforward, right? There are two types of air quality, however – indoor and outdoor. Outdoor air quality may get a lot more press since it’s often easier to see or smell (especially when it’s negative), but your indoor air quality is something that is much easier for you to directly improve.
A new article “Americans Believe Air Inside Their Homes Is Cleaner Than Outdoor Air; Data Suggests Otherwise” cites a study that found that 38% of U.S. homeowners think the air inside their homes is cleaner than the air outside their homes. The EPA counters that evidence suggests that indoor air quality in homes and other buildings can be
“more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.”
If that doesn’t take your breath away, read about the following sources of indoor air pollution. These include:
• building materials containing formaldehyde
• wet or damp carpet
• certain household cleaning products
• central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices
• the combustion of oil, natural gas or wood
• and, outdoor air pollutants such as radon or pesticides.
According to the survey, the most common strategies to improve indoor air quality include: purchasing an air purifier (23.7%); cleaning heating/cooling duct systems (23.6%); upgrading furnace or heating system components (16.7%); making ventilation improvements (15.8%); and eliminating or reducing individual sources of indoor air pollution, such as building products containing added formaldehyde or those that give off VOCs/fumes (8.6%).
If you are one of the 37.7% who said they had not taken any steps to improve their homes’ indoor air quality, contact us today for help.
