We all have been treating air pollution as outdoor air pollution, but it was not long ago when reality hit us all hard, with the fact that indoor air is more dangerous and lower ventilation in your living room is deadlier than standing on your balcony and inhaling outdoor air.
We spent more than 90 percent of our time indoors, be it at home, schools, offices, or industrial workshops. There are many indoor air elements that degrade the air quality, leading to many health issues if not treated on an immediate basis.
Honestly, we don’t blame you because the awareness about indoor air is still in its infancy. But here, we have written a wisely-crafted factual blog to help our audience realize the significance of indoor air quality. Keep reading for some shocking yet interesting indoor air quality facts.
Five Facts about Indoor Air Quality
1. The fifth most dangerous risk for public health
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized indoor air as the fifth most dangerous environmental risk for public health. There are several studies conducted by the regulatory body that prove the fact that indoor air is five times and in some cases 100 times, deadlier than outdoor air. This is because there are multiple pollutants present indoors, such as pollen, allergens, pet dander, and bacteria.
2. Candles and air fresheners also add to poor indoor air quality
Who doesn’t love to have fragrant homes 24/7? But this one’s an eye-opener for everyone out there who loves to stock up on such items. While air fresheners have terpenes and phthalates that are known to cause respiratory issues, scented candles contain carcinogens. It is important that you opt for scented candles made from other sources, such as beeswax.
3. Poor indoor air quality triggers various health symptoms
Let’s go through some facts first:
- More than 80 percent of the world’s population breathes toxic indoor air
- WHO reported deaths of more than 7 million due to indoor and outdoor air pollution
- Indoor air has multiple pollutants such as chemical, volatile organic compounds, and allergens
These are some of the facts that indicate that a major chunk of the world’s population is inhaling polluted air, and the death rate has reached quite a staggering figure. What is the underlying cause? The polluted air? Yes, it is! As mentioned, indoor air comprises different elements, and human exposure to toxic air exacerbates asthma, lung diseases, and other respiratory illnesses. Sometimes, the impact is worse, specifically in the elderly and children, and it can lead to serious complications.
4. Schools may have the worst indoor air quality
We have already mentioned quite a few times that children are at a higher risk due to poor indoor air quality because they have a higher breathing rate than adults. Considering that children spend a substantial part of their day at school, it is important to have fresh indoor air quality in classrooms. However, the case is the opposite. Schools categorize as the worst-case scenario in this regard. Classrooms may have concentration levels as high as 4.000 ppm, which are quite dangerous.
5. Your everyday cleaners and disinfectants are polluting the environment
It might be shocking, but the cleaners you are using to keep your home clean and fresh may be influencing you the other way around. Cleaners and disinfectants emit volatile organic compounds that pollute the environment. Human exposure to VOCs can lead to nose, eyes, and throat irritation, nausea, and liver and kidney damage. You should think twice before stocking up on those disinfectants.
While all these are quite shocking and scary facts, it is never too late to reduce the damage. The first and foremost step is to purchase an indoor air quality monitor. Euromate Pure Air’s CO2 monitor is lightweight and portable equipment to measure poor ventilation. Our indoor air quality monitor features a multi-detection option to detect CO2, PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10. It also has built-in infrared technology for high measurement sensitivity. The indoor air quality monitor will tell you how ventilated the space is, and based on the figures, you can make informed decisions to install high-performing air purification technology.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that indoor air quality was an alien concept until now. It has been under the limelight, and different sources are making shocking revelations to prove its significance. The fact is that indoor air is deadlier and can have adverse human health impacts. Therefore, immediate action is necessary.
