Poor Indoor Air Quality Factors

What contributes to poor indoor air quality?

Today’s homes are built energy efficient to control indoor air.  The purpose being to avoid heat loss in the winter and high air conditioning costs in the summer.  Of course, what’s good for your energy bill isn’t necessarily good for your indoor air quality.  This new trend in construction doesn’t allow your home to breathe.  Buildings that can’t breath can’t dilute indoor air pollutants.  Opening a window isn’t always the best answer - that’s where an air cleaner can help, especially if you someone in your home suffers from allergies.

Sources of indoor air pollution

Tobacco smoke:

Tobacco smoke contains many chemicals that stink and stain surfaces.  These chemicals are absorbed on clothes, walls, furniture, and everywhere else and the smell may persist even after a thorough cleaning.  Many government agencies and universities have reported the link between second-hand smoke and health effects particularly with asthma. Eliminating tobacco smoke is one of the easiest ways to increase indoor air quality

Pollen:

Pollen, a fine dust containing the male DNA component of seed plants, is discharged from trees, flowers, and grasses. Pollens from trees tend to be highest in the spring. Pollens from grasses tend to be highest in the summer. Pollens from weeds tend to be highest in the fall. This will vary by weather conditions and where you live.  Opening a door or a window can allow millions of these particles into your home thus distroying your indoor air quality. 

Animal dander:

Dander is the flakes of skin, hair or feathers of all common warm-blooded animals.  Dander is shed to varying degrees by your pets.  Pet dander can continue to degrade your indoor air quality long after the presence of the animal.  Allergic individuals produce antibodies when exposed to a protein found in hair roots and salivary glands. These antibodies cause mast cells to release histamine bombs in the body.  These histamine bombs cause allergic reactions, including sneezing, watery and itching eyes, hives, coughing and constricting of bronchial tubes, making breathing difficult.

Mold and mildew:

Mold is a fuzzy growth produced on moist organic matter by several types of fungi.  Mildew is a common name for mold.  Right now, mold remediation is the hot topic in indoor air quality. Molds produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases toxins that can lead to all kinds of health complications if allowed to persist indoors.  Mold is typically found in the shower, kitchen, basement, and around outside wall and roof penetrations. In recent years mold has become a real issuse due to the trend towards air-tight walls in new construction which results in trapped moisture. Mold will grow anywhere there is oxygen, moisture and something to feed on.