The average Brit spends around 90% of their day indoors and although it is something that most of us don’t even think about, indoor air pollution is a serious environmental issue that can have a direct impact on your health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Here we discuss and explain the importance of indoor air quality and the ways that effective home ventilation systems can benefit your health.
What Does Indoor Air Quality Mean?
Indoor air quality or IAQ is the term used to describe the quality of the air within and around a building or structure. Indoor air quality can have a direct effect on the comfort, health and wellbeing of occupants, with exposure to poor IAQ causing illnesses and long-term health implications.
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
There are a number of things that can affect the IAQ of a building from both indoor and outdoor sources. Here are some examples;
- Building materials such as asbestos, insulation and pressed woods which can release fibres and chemical gasses.
- The heating of wood, coal, fireplace and cooking appliances which can release carbon monoxide and other by products into the indoor environment.
- Cleaning supplies, insecticides, paints and common household products.
- Those from natural origins like pet dander, mould and radon.
- Smoke from chimneys that can make its way back inside.
- Soil, dust and outdoor pollutants bought in on people’s shoes and clothing.
How Can a Home Ventilation System Help?
Here are some of the ways that installing a home ventilation system can benefit your health;
● Proper ventilation works to rid your home of smoke, cooking odours, moisture and indoor pollutants by facilitating the free flow of clean, fresh air throughout the property.
● Indoor air pollution can lead to a number of health issues such as allergies, asthma, sinusitis, rashes, fatigue and headaches. Improving your IAQ can help to prevent and alleviate such issues caused by the indoor environment.
● For those who have asthma, things such as dust, mould, pollutants, mites and other potential triggers can get into air in the home and cause issues. Effective ventilation can help to improve the air quality, lowering the levels of these irritants and reducing asthma related symptoms.
● Being stuck indoors without proper ventilation can lead to a build-up of stale, stuffy and impure air. But a ventilation system can flush out bacteria, moisture, odours and pollutants with fresh, clean air from outside.
● In the warmer weather, trying to keep your home cool can be very difficult but the right ventilation can make it more comfortable and help with temperature and humidity control.
● For those who suffer with hay fever, some home ventilation systems can filter out large particles such as pollen which prevents them from entering the home and provides relief from symptoms.
● Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are invisible gases that can lead to a number of health problems and come from sources such as permanent markers, air fresheners, cosmetics, cleaning products, paints, aerosol sprays and new furniture. With sufficient ventilation and clean, fresh air, potentially harmful VOCs are diluted to safer levels.
