We need air for survival, and in recent years, there have been several concerns over the quality of indoor air. The air we breathe contains several toxins, and it is vital to ensure that we do not take in a lot of them so that we can avoid the harmful effects that come about in the long run. Indoor air quality is a term that refers to the air quality within and around some of the buildings and structures we use for our day to day activities. It basically relates to the health and comfort of the people living in and around those structures as understanding the common pollutants can keep people away from the health risks associated with breathing polluted air.
Depending on the pollutant, some of the health effects can manifest themselves after a short time. Some of the common ones include dizziness, irritation of the eyes, headaches and fatigue. The good thing about these short-term effects is that they can be treated and at times it might just involve removing the person from the polluted area. If an individual is suffering from medical conditions such as asthma, the symptoms might be extremely aggravated after being exposed to specific pollutants. The probability of these short-term effects of polluted air depends on several factors such as the age of the person and other medical conditions they might have been suffering from. At times, people may vary concerning how sensitive they are to these pollutants, and this determines how the effects appear on them.
Common Causes
It is essential to look at some of the common causes of air pollution around our building before going into anything. Your home air quality might be poor, but that can be owed to some of the items in the house or activities that you partake. These causes of pollution are just sources that release gas particles into the air. If your home or office is not adequately ventilated, or using the proper bluon refrigerant for your home you will have a more significant problem trying to get rid of the pollutant since all the released particles will be restricted to your living space. Some of the common sources of this pollution have been mentioned below.
The type of contaminants that can pollute air can be categorized into three general groups. The first one contains the particles which refer to the solid and liquid particles that are light enough to remain suspended in the air. These particles vary in size, and the most dangerous ones are the smallest particles which cannot be seen by the naked eye and can be respired unknowingly. The other group contains the chemical pollutants which include several things that can be dubbed the volatile organic compounds. These things are several varied and are obtained from both human and machine activities. They include tobacco smoke, paint, accidental chemical spills and gases that are part of combustion. The last group of pollutants is the biological one, and it consists of bacteria, fungi, pollen, dander and fibres among others. Most of these pollutants are produced as a result of improper housekeeping, improper humidity control, condensation and water spills. Some of them can be brought into your house unknowingly through occupants and air ventilation systems.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?
People across the nation suffer from varying medical conditions that have no particular cause. A huge chunk of this disease can be affiliated with inhaling polluted air, and this is why we need to ensure the air quality around us is good. Indoor air pollutants can cause a wide range of health effects both short term and long term and most Americans do not try to solve the problem by first clearing up the air around them. It is better to start noticing the short-term effects and strive to improve your indoor air quality rather than wait for the long-term ones to appear. These long-term effects are severe and include medical conditions such as cancer and heart diseases. There are verified ways of checking your air quality as not all the pollutants can be visible.
How Do You Measure Indoor Air Quality?
If you are a DIY enthusiast, you could successfully test the quality of air in your home using some of the kits that are available in stores. These kits are available in varying forms and can be used to test for several different pollutants. Improving the air quality is not all about the testing as you need to act depending on the results you get from the test. You might be forced to make small adjustments or major ones depending on what you find out. If you find that your home contains a lot of radon, you will be forced to make some significant mitigation steps which might extend to dire measures such as leaving home for a while and allowing professionals to clear the radon.
Radon is one common pollutant, and it is highly linked to cancer. This gas is odorless and colorless with radioactive properties, and the uranium naturally produces it in the ground. It seeps from the ground, and you cannot even notice that it is in your area without testing it with a machine.
If you do not want to test the air yourself, you could call over an expert and have them do it for you. These experts have the machinery needed to conduct several tests and will test for radon, mold and carbon monoxide among other pollutants. One advantage of hiring an expert is that they will conduct surefire tests since some of the pollutants require that one performs several tests before giving a solid conclusion. These experts deal with the purification of air and can recommend the best things to do to improve the air quality in your home.
Regardless of how the air tests in your home turn out, you might want to take a proactive approach to ensuring that you are not taking in contaminated air. It is prudent to invest in a good air purifier and put it in your home. There are several types of purifiers available in the market and they are designed for several purposes and you should assess your needs before selecting the best one for you.