Bettering Indoor Air Quality

Major Contributing Factors That Affect Indoor Air Quality

Today, indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important environmental consideration. We must do everything possible to improve the air we breathe because we spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors. During the energy crisis of the '70s, Americans began to tightly close their workplaces and homes in order to conserve energy resources. Currently, many families have both parents working, with less cleaning time in the home. Ventilation and cleanliness play important parts in maintaining good air quality; although, the indoor environment is impacted by many factors.

Among the factors that may impact the quality of the indoor air in your home is the air drawn from outside through an air conditioning unit. Interior products in the home have the potential to impact the indoor air because they emit volatile organic compounds into the air. The quality of indoor air also involves cleaning materials, building materials, ducts transmitting heat and air conditioning, activities in the building, people, furnishings, and pets.

You must look at the whole picture. Cleaning products used in the home, as well as interior furnishings, should be low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emitters, with emissions, sometimes improperly called off-gassing, that dissipate quickly. Scientific studies have demonstrated that new carpet is one of the lowest emitters of VOCs into the indoor environment and that these emissions dissipate very quickly. The low-level VOC emissions and the harmless odor from new carpet dissipate within the first 48 to 72 hours after installation. Carpet has not posed any health problems for millions of users. Carpet is made primarily of the same innocuous materials found in clothing and other everyday fabrics; i.e., polyester, nylon, and olefin fibers, latex (synthetic rubber), and polypropylene (olefin) fabric backing.

There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, tobacco, coal, and wood products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, damp or wet carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

The relative importance of any single source depends on how much of a given pollutant it emits and how hazardous those emissions are. In some cases, factors such as how old the source is and whether it is properly maintained are significant. An improperly adjusted gas stove can emit significantly more carbon monoxide than one that is properly adjusted.

Some sources, such as building materials, furnishings, and household products like air fresheners, release pollutants more or less continuously. High pollutant concentrations can remain in the air for long periods after some of these activities.

Common Factors That Affect Indoor Air Quality:

Finishes (paint, varnish, vinyl wall coverings).

Building materials (caulking compounds, adhesives, wood laminates).

Outdoor Air Quality.

People (exhalation, body odors, diseases).

Activities (work such as cleaning, using correction fluids, carbonless paper, pest control products, and personal activities such as wear fragrances and smoking).

Technology (photocopiers and laser printers).

Furnishings (furniture, draperies, floor coverings).

Inadequate or contaminated air handling units.

Inadequate cleaning practices.

Take a close look at this list. You may find the remedy right here if you feel you are suffering from Inadequate Indoor Air Quality.

Here are some aditional sites that have quality information about air conditioning, a major contributor to better air quality ...