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20.11.2024
Brooke Kirshne
Do you know that the air inside your home is more polluted than the air outside? The pollution is called indoor air pollution. Many people are not aware of this pollution which makes it quite dangerous and a serious threat to their health and well-being. This indoor air pollution is mostly left unnoticed by homeowners, and business owners, and because of this, it puts your family members and employees at risk of getting sick.
The pollution indoors is quite different from the pollution outdoors as outdoor air pollution can be seen and easily noticed and is widely recognized. However, indoor air pollution is not visible and is caused by daily work activities like cooking, and cleaning, and can be emitted by household items affecting the air that you inhale. This is a severe problem and multiple studies have shown that most people spend lots of their time indoors.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.8 million people in the world die from premature deaths and the major reason is because of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses caused by indoor air pollution. In this blog, we will share knowledge about what indoor air pollution is, how it risks your health, the major factors behind it, and some effective ways to reduce indoor air pollution.
What Is Indoor Air Pollution?
The presence of harmful pollutants in closed spaces like homes, offices, or other types of buildings is known as Indoor air pollution. It is unlike outdoor air pollution which is mainly caused by industries, factories, and vehicles. Indoor air pollution is caused by simple day-to-day activities like cooking and other appliances that are commonly found in homes. Some of the most common pollutants that can be found in indoor air pollution are dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold spores, smoke, and many more. These pollutants can contaminate your indoor air quality. One of the major sources of indoor air pollution is the excessive use of chemical products like cleaning liquids and aerosol sprays. Other than that gas emitted while cooking and the fur and hair of your pets can also pollute the air and reduce its quality. It is important that you understand these pollutants to improve the air quality and create a healthier environment.
Health Risks Of Indoor Air Pollution
You, your loved one, your co-workers, or your employee's health can be at risk due to indoor air pollution. It can have both short-term and long-term effects and is especially harmful for people with certain age groups.
- Short-Term Effects: When you are exposed to indoor air pollution then you will start to feel its effects including allergies, headaches, irritation in the eyes, runny nose, coughing throat, fatigue, and many more. The cause of these problems is because of common pollutants like dust, mold spores, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When you have poor air quality it will also cause trouble in breathing.
- Long-Term Effects: There can be more serious problems that can be caused when a person is exposed to indoor air pollution for a long time. The person can start to develop respiratory diseases like asthma and it also increases the risk of getting cardiovascular problems. In some cases, indoor air pollution can also cause life-threatening illnesses like lung cancer.
- Vulnerability: Indoor air pollution is more vulnerable to certain groups of people like small children who are still developing their respiratory systems which makes them more sensitive and elderly people whose immune system gets weakened with the passing of time. Individuals who are already diagnosed with conditions like asthma, heart disease, and allergies are at higher risk.
Factors Behind Indoor Air Pollution
There are multiple factors behind indoor air pollution. Some of them can be easily recognized but some of them are quite subtle to notice. Read on to better understand the factors and how they have an effect on your health.
- Tobacco Smoke: Many different kinds of tobacco products like cigars, cigarettes, and pipes are one of the most common reasons for indoor air pollution. It is said that there are more than 7,000 kinds of harmful chemicals in tobacco products that are well known to cause severe health problems like cancer. The smoke caused by combustion can pollute the air quality and will become the reason for multiple health problems.
- Cleaning Products: There are a wide variety of chemicals used to manufacture cleaning products and some of them can be quite harmful to human health. These cleaning products release a toxic smell which is harmful when inhaled in large quantities. Some of these chemicals can damage your health and cause different kinds of health problems such as respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and many more. These cleaning products can easily evaporate and spread in the room causing indoor air pollution.
- Mold Spores: Mold is one of the major causes of indoor air pollution. It can also be the reason for multiple health problems including asthma, lung infection, and allergies. The reason for the growth of mold in your house or office is because of a large quantity of moisture on the walls, floors, ceilings, and basement. Elderly people with weak immune systems, little kids, and people who are already suffering from illnesses like asthma and allergies are in bigger danger because of mold.
- Cooking Stoves: While cooking is an important and everyday activity, the stoves used for cooking can also contribute to indoor air pollution. Especially when you use solid fuels like coal and wood for burning fires. It releases particulate matter (PM) which can cause many different kinds of health problems like respiratory infections, heart disease, asthma, and cancer. So, it is important that you use cooking stoves responsibly.
Effective Ways To Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
It is necessary for you to reduce indoor air pollution to create a comfortable and healthier environment. There are some simple yet effective ways that you can follow to improve the air quality and reduce the risk of diseases.
- Good Ventilation: It is one of the most common ways to reduce indoor air pollution. It is essential for every home and office to have proper ventilation as it helps remove pollutants and bring in fresh and clean air to breathe. When an indoor space does not have ventilation then the pollutants will increase rapidly and will be harmful to the health of everyone in the room.
- Use HEPA Filters: HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, this filter is responsible for removing many kinds of pollutants like dust mites, pet hairs, tobacco smoke, and mold spores from the air. HEPA filters are quite popular for their efficiency as they can remove approximately 99 percent of airborne particles. These filters are used in multiple things like vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and air conditioners.
- Indoor Plants: Plants have quite a high reputation for fighting against pollution. It is essential that you have some indoor plants in your house or office to reduce indoor air pollution. These indoor plants help in purifying the air by removing the contaminants in the air and providing you with fresh oxygen to breathe. It also helps in reducing the dust while increasing the humidity levels.
- Use Air Purifiers: The main purpose of air purifiers is to provide you with protection against indoor air pollution. This device helps you to eliminate pollutants like dust, pollen, pet furs, and mold spores. In addition, it can also remove harmful gasses like carbon monoxide and clear all the volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Conclusion
Here, you have learned about what is indoor air pollution and both short-term and long-term effects it can have that put your health at risk and how certain groups like old people, little kids, and people with previously diagnosed health problems are more sensitive to this pollution. You also discovered the different kinds of factors like smoking, excess use of cleaning products, cooking stoves, and mold can cause indoor pollution and can harm your health. In addition, you explored some effective ways such as ventilation, HEPA filters, air purifiers, and plants that can help you fight against indoor air pollution. By keeping all this information in mind you will be able to create and maintain a healthy and comfortable environment.
We at Custom Filters Direct are ready to help you fight the battle against indoor air pollution. With the help of our premium and customizable air filters that are especially designed to capture dust, allergens, and other harmful pollutants. Our custom air filters help you improve indoor air quality by providing you with highly trustworthy performance that keeps your space clean and fresh. Shop the air filters with reasonable prices and fast shipping options with a wide variety designed to your specific needs. Make sure that you have clean and healthy air by contacting us at 877-958-5612 or send us an email at info@customfiltersdirect.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Air pollution indoors is much higher than the air pollution outdoors. The reason for this is because the ventilation is limited indoors.
- Indoor air pollution mainly affects the respiratory system while outdoor air pollution affects overall health.
- The air pollution indoors can be controlled by proper ventilation.
- The source of indoor air pollution is from household pollutants and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). The source of outdoor air pollution is because of multiple reasons such as vehicular emissions and industrial activities.
- Carbon Monoxide: It is a highly toxic, odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas. This gas is mostly emitted from vehicles, boilers, ovens fireplaces, and many more.
- Nitrogen Dioxide: This is a reddish brown color gas that can be easily noticed due to its strong odor. This gas is released during the process of combustion.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): This pollutant comes out from chemical products such as cleaning products, cooking, burning of wood, painting, and many more.
- Radon: It is a harmful radioactive gas that can cause multiple severe problems like lung cancer. It is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that emits from the process of decay of uranium (U).