According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 3.8 million people around the world pass away because of exposure to indoor pollution. Outdoor pollutants, like smog, receive more attention, but indoor air quality can have serious effects on mental and physical health. Your home may actually be making you sick and we’ve gathered some of the more common issues and facts here.
1. Dust
Dust is everywhere as most homeowners have probably noticed. On average a six room house collect over 40 pounds of dust in a year. Dust can affect your breathing, the efficiency of your furnace and even the health of your pets and children. Dust typically has trace amounts of over 45 toxic chemicals. Dust can lead to increasing problems with Asthma. Asthma is the leading chronic disease in children It accounts for more than 14 million doctor visits each year.
2. Water Damage
Water damage can come in many forms. Flooding, rain and even just not having proper humidity regulation in your home. It can be destructive and costly to fix. On top of that, where there is water, there is a good environment for mold, mildew and rot to thrive. More than 28% of homes report an unhealthy amount of these contaminations.
3. Indoor Pollutants
Pollutants in your home tend to stay there unless taken care of. Experts at the EPA estimate that pollutants indoors could be 2 to 5 times higher than they are outside. These can aggravate conditions like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung and heart disease. Using an air purifier and making sure your system is maintained and properly cleaned can help mitigate these complications.
4. Radon and Chemicals
Being aware of your air quality can help lessen the effects of radon and other cancer causing chemicals. It is estimated that 54% women who work from home everyday have a higher death rate from cancer than those who work out side the home. With the pandemic and more people than ever working from home the recent numbers may be even higher.
Your air quality is no joke. It can be easy to forget about it since we live in it every day, but that is precisely why it needs to be taken seriously. Living in it, the air gets to affect you each and everyday. We have a whole host of solutions and devices that can help you improve your air quality.
