Indoor Air Quality Facts

Indoor Air Quality

Click on these links to learn more about what is known about the poor quality of indoor air.

• Consider Indoor Air Quality
• Other Interesting Facts Related to Indoor Air Quality
• Common Sources of Indoor Air Pollution in your Home or Building
• Other Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

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Consider Indoor Air Quality

• The American College of Allergies reports that 50% of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor air.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that indoor air is anywhere from 2 to 10 times more hazardous than outdoor air. According to the EPA indoor air quality is the "number one environmental health problem" in the United States.
• Modern homes and buildings are built air-tight, and contain a wide variety of pollution sources (see discussion below). In fact, natural air-cleansing agents such as ozone and negative ions are kept out, while contaminants are kept in.A recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200% higher than it is in ordinary homes.
• Scientific America reports that a baby crawling on the floor inhales the equivalent of 4 cigarettes a day, as a result of the outgassing of carpets, molds, mildews, fungi, dust mites, etc.
• In America most people spend well over 90% of their time indoors. This means that indoor air impacts our health far more than outdoor air. 
• According to the EPA 6 out of 10 homes and buildings are "sick", meaning they are hazardous to your health to occupy as a result of airborne pollutants.

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Other Facts Related to Indoor Air Quality

• Asthma cases in the US have increased by more than 100% since 1976. 
• It is estimated that 1 in 9 children now have asthma. 
• Death rates due to asthma have tripled. They have quintupled in children ages 5 to 9 since 1976. 

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Common Sources of Air Pollution inside your Home or Building

• People. About 80% of what you see floating in a ray of sunshine entering the building is dead human skin flakes. Worse, we can only see about 10% of the airborne pollutants. Dead human skin is the staple of the dust mite diet. Negative ions remove dead skin from the air - this action alone removes a host of dust mites and other bacteria from the air you breathe. Ozone destroys many of the bacteria living on these flakes.
• Dust. Each year about 40 pounds of dust is generated per 1500 square feet. Each speck of dust carries about 40,000 dust mites and illness causing bacteria and viruses. Negative ions also remove dust particles from the air, which also removes the contaminants residing on them. Ozone destroys the microorganisms carried by dust.
• Allergens. Pollens, ragweed and a variety of other allergens make their way into the home from outside.
• Carpet, Plywood, and other Construction Materials. The "new" smell associated with new carpet, new houses, remodeled rooms, newly painted walls and such may be pleasant, but it's actually the outgassing of the chemical solutions used to treat these products. Wood floors are somewhat better for health than carpet, but carpet is more common because it is more affordable. Ozone oxidzes these chemical fumes so that they are no longer toxic and an activated charcoal filter can often remove them from the air completely.
• Mattresses and Furnishings. The fire retardants and other chemicals may keep you safe, but they add to the chemical vapors you breathe indoors. Chemicals are oxidized by ozone.
• Pillows and Blankets. It may not be pleasant to learn, but dust mites comprise over 50% of the weight of the average pillow.
• HVAC Systems. Air ducts have been found to be a fertile breeding ground for mold spores.
• Household Cleaners/Aerosols, Insecticides, Pesticides. Every time we use these products we literally poison the air we breathe with chemical fumes and toxins.
• Moist things or humid environments. Dampened towels, wash cloths, and moist or humid areas are the natural home to mold spores, bacteria, and mildew. Children in homes with high mold show persistent, cold-like symptoms - 300% more than average. Ozone destroys molds and bacteria, while negative ions remove floating mold spores from the air.
• Pets. Airborne animal and/or pet dander (specks of dried spit from the animal that breaks off the end of their hair and floats in air) is a common trigger for allergies and asthma. Importantly, the feces from your pet emits added contaminates into the air.
• Fecal Matter from Insects and other Bugs.Insect feces is known to be a powerful allergen. In a recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine, more than half the homes tested had high levels of cockroaches. Children living in these homes were more than three times as likely to be hospitalized for asthma.
• Smoking. Smoking in enclosed spaces leaves the air dense with over 3600 cancer-causing toxins. These toxins also cling to the clothing we wear, and release themselves when we enter other homes and buildings.

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Other Sources

• Perfumes
• Candles
• Sprain Medications
• Wood-Burning Stoves
• Fireplaces
• Odors
• Chemicals from Photography
• Ceramic Glazes
• Oil Paints
• Dusty Closets
• Plastic Shades
• Synthetic Toys
• Moldy/Dusty Wallpaper
• Cosmetics
• Nail Care Products
• Scented Candles

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