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Партнерский материал
Is Your Home Making You Sick? Understanding Indoor Air Quality
Discover how bacteria hidden in carpets, mold festering out of sight, fumes from gas stoves and more can impact health
Партнерский материал
You filter your tap water, buy organic ingredients when possible and try to get a workout in when you can. But have you considered the quality of the air you breathe? Access to clean air — free from pollution and common allergens — is fundamental to maintaining optimal health. Studies show that air pollution can be up to five times more concentrated indoors than outside. Coupled with the fact that most of us spend an average of 90% of our time inside, it’s not a great recipe for health. Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce the prevalence of airborne pollutants and improve the overall quality of air inside your home. Read on to discover how.
What Causes Indoor Air Pollution?
Objects, activities and animals (including humans) can all contribute to your home’s overall indoor air quality, releasing potentially harmful pollutants including fine particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bacteria, viruses and allergens. More often than not, indoor pollutants are released through seemingly innocuous everyday activities, like cooking and cleaning, as well as from interior products we bring into our homes.
“Gas stoves and the overall effects of cooking have an impact on indoor air quality that many may not be aware of,” says Gene Ehrbar, VP of Product at Molekule, a leading air purifier company. “Inadequate ventilation can lead to unhealthy levels of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.”
Objects, activities and animals (including humans) can all contribute to your home’s overall indoor air quality, releasing potentially harmful pollutants including fine particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bacteria, viruses and allergens. More often than not, indoor pollutants are released through seemingly innocuous everyday activities, like cooking and cleaning, as well as from interior products we bring into our homes.
“Gas stoves and the overall effects of cooking have an impact on indoor air quality that many may not be aware of,” says Gene Ehrbar, VP of Product at Molekule, a leading air purifier company. “Inadequate ventilation can lead to unhealthy levels of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.”
Ehrbar says product choices can also have a big impact. “Many interior products, including carpeting, new home appliances and furniture can off-gas significant levels of VOCs,” he says. The chemicals you may use to clean your home, as well as the paints, lacquers and varnishes on your walls and furniture, can also introduce VOCs directly into the air.
Renovating your home? It will come as no surprise to anyone who has gone through a renovation that remodeling kicks up plenty of indoor air pollutants. “Dust and mold released from demolition obviously mean more particulate matter floating through your air,” Ehrbar says. “Ventilation and air purification can help reduce your exposure as you work on your home.” Learn more about how to reduce air pollution during a home renovation here.
Renovating your home? It will come as no surprise to anyone who has gone through a renovation that remodeling kicks up plenty of indoor air pollutants. “Dust and mold released from demolition obviously mean more particulate matter floating through your air,” Ehrbar says. “Ventilation and air purification can help reduce your exposure as you work on your home.” Learn more about how to reduce air pollution during a home renovation here.
How Does Indoor Air Pollution Affect Our Health?
Frequent and prolonged exposure to indoor pollutants can, of course, negatively impact your health. Short-term symptoms can include exacerbated asthma, headaches, nausea and lack of focus. The long-term effects, according to the EPA, are even worse and can include respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer.
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who suffer from allergies, be aware that exposure to indoor air pollution can worsen your allergy symptoms. Plus, higher levels of indoor air pollution can very well be an indication that you have more allergens in your home. “Environmental allergies aren’t only outside. They enter our homes through open windows, cracks in the windows, via our clothing, hair, shoes, our pets and more,” Ehrbar says. If you don’t take steps to reduce the level of indoor air pollutants, including allergens, they can build up to unhealthy levels.
Invisible Offenders: Common Home Air Pollutants and Allergens
Frequent and prolonged exposure to indoor pollutants can, of course, negatively impact your health. Short-term symptoms can include exacerbated asthma, headaches, nausea and lack of focus. The long-term effects, according to the EPA, are even worse and can include respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer.
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who suffer from allergies, be aware that exposure to indoor air pollution can worsen your allergy symptoms. Plus, higher levels of indoor air pollution can very well be an indication that you have more allergens in your home. “Environmental allergies aren’t only outside. They enter our homes through open windows, cracks in the windows, via our clothing, hair, shoes, our pets and more,” Ehrbar says. If you don’t take steps to reduce the level of indoor air pollutants, including allergens, they can build up to unhealthy levels.
Invisible Offenders: Common Home Air Pollutants and Allergens
- Dust. This fine particulate matter includes dander (dead skin cells), dirt, pollen, dust mites and their waste, and smoke particles, and can easily become airborne and inhaled.
- Pollen. While it may be in higher concentrations outdoors, pollen can build up indoors too, drifting inside through open windows or tracked on clothing, hair and shoes.
- Mold. Mold thrives in warm, damp corners and spreads via tiny spores released in the air, and can cause allergies or illness.
- Pets. Even hypoallergenic breeds shed dander, and exposure to dander, fur and saliva can cause allergies.
- Cooking particles and gas stoves. Cooking, particularly if you fry or burn the food, releases both fine particulate matter and VOCs into the air. Gas stoves can release nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.
- Household cleaners. That lingering scent after you’ve used a chemical cleaner is your clue that the chemicals, and potentially VOCs, are airborne.
- Pests. Both insects and rodents leave droppings, which can spread disease through tiny airborne particles.
- Bacteria and viruses. Both can spread through the air and via touched surfaces of the home. Look for air purifiers that not only capture them but destroy them.
- Paint, furnishings and building materials. All three can be sources of chemicals or VOCs released into the air, whether through old materials breaking down (such as asbestos in insulation) or new materials (such as paints, pressed-wood products, carpets and furniture) off-gassing.
Invest in a Home Air Purifier
Feeling motivated to improve your home’s air quality? Here’s the good news: A combination of frequent ventilation, air purification and diligent household cleaning can make a significant impact on how healthy the air inside your home is.
If you’re investing in an air purifier, choose one that covers the space you need and has the technology to ensure it’s doing its job well. There are high-performance air purifiers on the market designed to filter up to 1,000 square feet, making them a good choice for open-plan living spaces. Smaller air purifiers can cover areas up to 250 square feet and work well for single rooms and areas such as kitchens or bedrooms that may need an extra boost.
One differentiating factor worth noting is that most air purifiers (and HEPA filters in general) only trap airborne pollutants. Ehrbar says Molekule’s multilayered protection and ability to not only trap but also destroy pollutants really sets it apart.
“Molekule’s unique PECO-HEPA Tri-Power filter boasts not one but three layers of powerful protection,” Ehrbar says. “The filter’s carbon layer neutralizes toxic odors and gases, the HEPA filter captures 99.97% of small particles, and our patented PECO technology destroys organic pollutants on a molecular level. PECO destroys what HEPA leaves behind, breaking down VOCs, viruses, bacteria, mold spores and allergens into harmless gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor.”
Feeling motivated to improve your home’s air quality? Here’s the good news: A combination of frequent ventilation, air purification and diligent household cleaning can make a significant impact on how healthy the air inside your home is.
If you’re investing in an air purifier, choose one that covers the space you need and has the technology to ensure it’s doing its job well. There are high-performance air purifiers on the market designed to filter up to 1,000 square feet, making them a good choice for open-plan living spaces. Smaller air purifiers can cover areas up to 250 square feet and work well for single rooms and areas such as kitchens or bedrooms that may need an extra boost.
One differentiating factor worth noting is that most air purifiers (and HEPA filters in general) only trap airborne pollutants. Ehrbar says Molekule’s multilayered protection and ability to not only trap but also destroy pollutants really sets it apart.
“Molekule’s unique PECO-HEPA Tri-Power filter boasts not one but three layers of powerful protection,” Ehrbar says. “The filter’s carbon layer neutralizes toxic odors and gases, the HEPA filter captures 99.97% of small particles, and our patented PECO technology destroys organic pollutants on a molecular level. PECO destroys what HEPA leaves behind, breaking down VOCs, viruses, bacteria, mold spores and allergens into harmless gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor.”
Bolster Your Cleaning Routine
How often you clean your home, as well as the products you use, can make a difference in your indoor air quality. Best cleaning practices for reducing indoor air pollutants and allergens include the following:
How often you clean your home, as well as the products you use, can make a difference in your indoor air quality. Best cleaning practices for reducing indoor air pollutants and allergens include the following:
- Reduce dust by wiping surfaces with a damp cloth and vacuuming weekly (ideally using a vacuum with a HEPA filter). Use a damp mop to clean hardwood floors or tile regularly.
- In the kitchen, wipe down surfaces daily to remove dust and food particles that can attract pests. Run exhaust fans whenever you’re cooking to capture smoke and fine particulate matter.
- Control temperature and humidity levels throughout your home to prevent the growth of mold and dust mites by running your HVAC machine or dehumidifier and making sure you have exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathrooms.
- Wash bedding weekly, and wash other soft furnishings, such as throw blankets, curtains and upholstery slipcovers, as regularly as possible. All can be magnets for harboring dust, pollen, pet allergens and fine particulate matter.
- If you have a pet, wash them regularly, wipe their paws before they enter the home and keep them off furniture if you can. Use an air purifier that traps pet hair and destroys their dander.
- Switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products that don’t release chemicals into the air or leave them on surfaces.
Air It Out
Rooms with stagnant air aren’t just stuffy, they’re also less healthy, as a lack of circulation can cause airborne pollutant levels to increase. “Indoor air doesn’t flow as freely as outdoors, which is why pollutants can accumulate so easily,” Ehrbar says. “Ventilation and purification can help disrupt this accumulation.”
First, check the air quality in your area. (You can do so on PurpleAir.) If the Air Quality Index is good, open your windows and doors to welcome in fresh air. Run a fan to increase air flow and turn on your air purifier to keep air circulating and cleaning automatically.
On days when your area’s Air Quality Index is subpar — such as on smoky days or at the height of pollen season — take the opposite approach. Close windows and doors to shut out pollutants, turn off your HVAC intake, run the air purifier and wait for a clear air day to air things out.
More: For more information on the home air purifiers offered by Molekule, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Rooms with stagnant air aren’t just stuffy, they’re also less healthy, as a lack of circulation can cause airborne pollutant levels to increase. “Indoor air doesn’t flow as freely as outdoors, which is why pollutants can accumulate so easily,” Ehrbar says. “Ventilation and purification can help disrupt this accumulation.”
First, check the air quality in your area. (You can do so on PurpleAir.) If the Air Quality Index is good, open your windows and doors to welcome in fresh air. Run a fan to increase air flow and turn on your air purifier to keep air circulating and cleaning automatically.
On days when your area’s Air Quality Index is subpar — such as on smoky days or at the height of pollen season — take the opposite approach. Close windows and doors to shut out pollutants, turn off your HVAC intake, run the air purifier and wait for a clear air day to air things out.
More: For more information on the home air purifiers offered by Molekule, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Molekule air purifiers use patented PECO technology, a scientific breakthrough 25 years in the making. Unlike... Читать далее
Molekule air purifiers use patented PECO technology, a scientific breakthrough 25 years in the making. Unlike... Читать далее