EPA studies conclude that indoor air quality in your home, school, church or place of employment is 2 to 10 times worse than out door air quality. Since we spend up to 65% our time at home it is essential to know how to improve your indoor air quality.
Why is our indoor air quality so bad? When you insulate properly and use tighter windows to minimize energy loss, you also trap allergens and pollutants inside your home. Being a society dependent on synthetic chemicals means when we bring home a new piece of furniture, synthetic carpet, an appliance, a new cleaning product, or home improvement supplies like paints and stains, we’re introducing new toxins to our indoor spaces.
There are a couple of approaches to clearing the air. It’s getting easier to find products that are organic for instance. Cleaning supplies are available without toxins as well. Green building materials, safe paints, stains and coatings are also a good way to reduce indoor air pollution. So when you reduce the chemical pollutants you’re taking first step toward cleaner air.
But nature has a way of producing elements that we all have to put up with. Pollen, dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores are a few culprits that contribute to poor air quality indoors and out. The best way to reduce your exposure to these trouble makers at home is to remove them from your air with an air filter.
One type of air cleaner, which isn’t very effective, is the ionic air purifier. Electrically charged ions attach to air borne particles which fall from the air onto a collection plate and the floor and your furniture. Simply walking through the room will cause the particles not attached to the collection plate to become air borne again.
The most effective air filters use HEPA filtration. HEPA is an acronym for "High Efficiency Particulate Arresting" filter. HEPA filtration by definition traps 99.97% of particulate matter that is .03 microns in size. Some HEPA filters are better than others and can filter even smaller particles.
Smoke and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from paints, synthetic carpet, and particle board for instance can be eliminated by using filters containing activated carbon, zeolite, and potassium iodide.
Filters can be rated as highly efficient but they are only as good as the machine that houses them. If air flows around the filters or escapes from the housing because it isn’t sealed properly the filters are useless.
The best air filters made come from a Swiss company called IQAir. The HealthPro Plus has received more #1 reviews than any other air purifier. IQAir has created a Hyper HEPA filter capable of filtering particles as small as .003 microns. Hospitals around the world rely on IQAir to help protect staff and patients from infectious diseases like tuberculosis and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). When the dreaded disease SARS began to spread in Hong Kong hospitals in 2004, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority tested dozens of air cleaners. They determined that IQAir made the only room air cleaners suitable to be used in the fight against SARS.
Whole house air filtration is also an option, especially if you are building a new home, but it is possible to retro-fit a whole house unit into an existing home. Most whole house filters can also control humidity which is a key factor in controlling mold, mildew and dust mites.
You can protect your family and breathe easier by reducing the pollutants, allergens and irritants in your home and when it’s time to add air purification, don’t waste your money on inferior technology.
So there you have it. I’m glad I could help clear the air.
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