We spend a great deal of time indoors eating, relaxing, sleeping, and even working. This means that the quality of air inside your home has an impact on your health and well-being.
However, many different things can compromise or pollute your indoor air quality. Dust, dirt, smoke, and more – all these can have negative effects on your health and comfort as you relax in your home.
What Kinds of Pollution Are in the Home?
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds, commonly called VOCs, are compounds with high vapour pressure and low water solubility. Most VOCs are human-made and can be emitted by a wide range of sources in the home, such as cleaning products, candles, paints, and even from cooking!
Most levels of VOCs don’t pose any health risks, but in high concentrations they can cause:
Fatigue
Nausea
Dizziness
Headaches
Breathing problems
Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
Children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with existing health conditions are more vulnerable to VOCs.
Biological Organisms
Biological organisms are, or were, living organisms and are a common factor in indoor air pollution. There are many different sources of these, but the most common ones include:
Animal dander (minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin)
Dust mite and cockroach parts
Infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses
Pollen
Mould spores
These biological organisms can either trigger allergic reactions, a common one is seasonal hayfever, but can also cause you to become ill in the case of bacteria and viruses.
Radon
Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium in the soil and rock. It’s invisible, tasteless, and odourless. It is not a concern in most cases, but it can accumulate in enclosed spaces such as your home and is a source of health risk that most people do not consider.
High levels of radon gas in your home can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer. The risk of cancer depends on the level of radon and how long you are exposed to it.
To learn more about the radon levels in your home, you need to test for it. You can either purchase a DIY testing kit or call a professional.
What Can Be Done About Indoor Air Pollution?
While it is nearly impossible to remove all air pollution, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of indoor air pollution you’re exposed to.
Air filters can capture most airborne organic particles, such as dust or bacteria. Filters aren’t able to capture gas, however, which leaves radon and VOCs untouched. You also need to change filters regularly for them to continue to be effective.
Dehumidifiers can reduce the amount of moisture in your home, which in turn helps to reduce the growth of organic pollutants.
VOCs can be reduced by simply having better ventilation in your home.
For radon, there are ventilation options that you can have installed that will help to reduce the amount of radon gas in your home.
Call the Indoor Air Quality Pros
At Aire One Heating & Cooling KW, we have everything you need to help improve the indoor air quality in your home. We offer air cleaners that can filter out mould, air purifiers that can help clean other agents from the air, ventilators that can provide clean air and provide energy recovery, dehumidifiers, plus furnace filters for your heating system. Contact us today for a quote in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford and Woodstock.