Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality can have a significant effect on your health. Studies show that people spend 65 to 90 percent of their time indoors, and indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The young, elderly, chronically ill, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular disease are often the most impacted by poor indoor air quality.
In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by EPA's Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health. Indoor air quality problems can be subtle and do not always produce easily recognized impacts on health. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, sinus congestion, coughing, sneezing, dizziness, nausea, and irritation of the eye, nose, throat and skin. Due to varying sensitivities, IAQ problems may affect a group of people or just one individual and may affect each person in different ways.
Potential Sources of Indoor Air Pollution:
- Mold
- Tobacco Smoke
- Carpet
- Household Cleaning Products
- Appliances
- Radon
- Pet Dander
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
- Source Control: Eliminate individual sources of pollution or reduce their emissions.
- Improve Ventilation: Weather and outdoor air quality conditions permitting, bring fresh, outdoor air into your home by opening doors and windows. Use fans to circulate air.
- Change HVAC system filter: During wildfire smoke season, switch to MERV 13 or higher rated filter depending on what your system can handle.
- Use portable HEPA air cleaners: Air filtration can be an effective supplement to source control and ventilation. Using a portable air cleaner and/or upgrading the air filter in your furnace or central heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system can help to improve indoor air quality.
