Air Pollution Facts: 7 Major Sources of Indoor Air Pollution and What You Can Do To Solve Them...
Would you drink muddy water?
Yet according to the EPA's indoor air pollution facts, the air in your home is 2 to 10 times as bad as the pollution outdoors. They have named indoor air pollution as the number one environmental health problem. The short story is that air pollution facts show we are breathing "muddy air" every day.
Below, I've identified 7 major sources of indoor air pollution along with simple and effective solutions so that you can get back to breathing pure and living your best.
#1: Biological Pollutants: Is Half Your Pillow Weight Dust Mites?
Sources: Animal Dander, Mold, Dust Mites and Dust Mite Feces, Pollen, Virus, and Bacteria all originate as living, things causing a host of diseases.
Need To Know: Dust mites and dust mite dander can account for up to half the weight of your pillow. My review of the air pollution facts in this category makes me believe that biological pollutants are the most dangerous since they have the ability to reproduce and can infect, inflame, or sicken us with devastating effects.
Solutions:
Dehumidifying the air will slow down the growth of mold and dust mites. Encase pillows and mattresses with a dust mite-impervious cover. Don't allow dust to accumulate, especially around heating sources.
Get a good all around air purifier such as the IQAir Cleaner, the Blueair Air Cleaner, or the Autsin Air Purifier to clean up the dust and whatever else the airfree doesn't catch. (In very moist environments, such as a basement, a dehumidifier would also be recommended)
Also, the airfree air sterilizer literally incinerates living organisms and has demonstrated it's performance well in independent tests. It would be well worth it to buy several of these for whole house coverage. This is truly an amazing unit.
#2 Volatile Organic Compounds: We're Not Talking Veggies
Sources: Formaldehyde from any fake wood in furniture of building materials, ('OSB' or fiber board), gasses from carpet and furniture ("that new smell"), home cleaning products and pesticides, personal hygiene sprays and perfumes, paints, thinners, glues, hobby items such as permanent markers and adhesives, office equipment such as some copiers and printers, ozone all contribute to indoor air pollution.
Need to Know: Air pollution facts tell us that volatile organic compounds (VOC's) indoor air contaminants are cancer-causing at worst and irritants to the respiratory and nervous system at least.
Solutions:
Get an air purifier that has a healthy amount of carbon. The Blueair with smokestop filter, IQAir HealthPro Plus, and Austin Air Healthmate Plus will do a good job of removing VOC's, the latter two being the better. Especially sensitive individuals would want to use a Allerair VOCARB, which has more carbon than anyone else.
To be preventative, try to use natural wood products as much as possible, avoid carpet if you can. Use non-toxic cleaners and personal hygiene items (which are getting easier and easier to find). Get as much ventilation as possible when you must use any cleaner, pesticide, or glue with VOC's.
#3: Tobacco Smoke: Cancer Sticks
Source: Air pollution facts show that while smoking outside is best, contaminants can still be carried in on the smokers clothes, hair, or body. Limiting smoking to one room is not an overall effective strategy alone.
Need to Know: Leading cause of lung cancer. Air Pollution Facts tell us that indoor smoking is terribly dirty for the air and home. A combination of gasses, tar, and very, very small particles make this a difficult to treat source. Send that smoker out
Solutions:
First, Send the smoker outside. If s/he insists on smoking indoors, limit it it to a smoking room with air purifier running on high at all times. If it's a guest, too darn bad, you ain't smokin' in my house.
Second, for indoor smoking situations, clean the air with a good smoke air purifier. Otherwise, a one of our best air purifiers should clean up the rest.
#4: Radon: Today's Kryptonite
Source: The air pollution facts show that radon is a naturally occurring gas that can seep into the house, especially through the basement floor and foundation.
Need to Know: Second leading cause of lung cancer. Odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Every third home has too much radon in it. Does yours?
Solutions:
First, get tested to see if radon is present. Self-test kits are available.
Second, a professional can install a ventilation system that vents air from underneath the foundation and basement floor to the outdoors.
Third, an Allerair VOCARB or IQAir MultiGas will nullify any leftover gas and serve as a good air insurance policy.
#5 Heavy Metals: We Will Rock You!
Source: Air pollution facts: Mainly lead from old paint, though there are other newer occasional sources, and vaporized mercury from interior latex (water-based) paint containing phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) from before 1990 and exterior latex from before 1991, and mercury spills from thermometers or old bottles.
Need to Know: Lead can cause permanent developmental damage to children as well as cause other health concerns to adults. Mercury can severely damage the nervous system in children and adults alike.
Solutions:
First, eliminate any sources you are aware of. Don't take any chances and call a professional if a serious contamination occurs.
Second, obtain a very good air purifier to gather up occasional sources. See our list of top 10 air purifiers to start.
#6: Carbon Monoxide
Sources: Heating equipment including gas furnaces, gas and wood fireplaces , running automobiles in garage, (attached garage can bring fumes into the home), blocked chimneys, any other engine running in garage or indoors including generators, lawn mowers.
Need To Know: Air pollution facts: Carbon Monoxide can cause death with sufficient build up or irritate the respiratory and nervous system with minimal build up.
Solutions:
First, have professionals periodically inspect heating equipment and chimneys. Install several good carbon monoxide detectors. Don't run engines in your garage. Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level.
Second, use an air purifier with a carbon filter to control occasional indoor air pollution from carbon monoxide.
#7: The X Factor (Not Associated With David Duchovny)
Sources: Who knows what's floating around out there?
Need to Know: Many people are feeling lethargic and sick due to unknown and unidentified causes. I've read numerous reports of headaches, cold or flu-like symptoms, general sickness, and unknown allergies that were traced back to poor air quality. Jonathan Samet, M.D., Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University says
"...such problems can be frustrating to affected persons and to their healthcare providers, who are often unaware that the quality of indoor environments is connected with health and disease."
Since the air we breathe is necessary to life itself, the quality of the air we breath is of highest priority. Could part of your problem be poor air quality?
Solutions:
Do you supsect your indoor air pollution is affecting your health?
If so, Ideally you should have... one or more great all around air purifiers with some carbon in the filter and especially an airfree air sterilizer (or multiples of those!) Be sure to dehumidify damp environments as well.
If you have a unique situation, use the contact page and I will do my best to steer you to the best home air purifier for your situation.
Our Home Air Purifier Articles also cover a wide variety of air pollution facts.
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