You hear the term pollution, and immediately your thoughts turn to fossil fuel emissions and oil in our oceans, not to mention the litter you see on the sidewalks. Wherever we go, we are breathing in a little something more than oxygen.
It makes sense that you breathe easier when you’re in your own home. After all, you know exactly what’s in the air…right?
Unfortunately, even the air in your home can be riddled with pollutants that, if they remain unchecked, could cause you serious harm.
What Is Indoor Air Pollution, and Why Should I Care?
Image putting a drop of food colouring into a large bowl of water. The food colouring will disperse and you may not even be able to see much of the colour.
Now imagine putting a drop of food colouring into a small glass of water. The colour will be more vibrant because it has less space to disperse in. It is more concentrated.
This is indoor air pollution. Your home is a concentrated space, and the pollution has no where to go. You may not see it or feel it, but it’s there.
The Causes of Indoor Air Pollution
You take care of your home, so how on earth does the air become polluted? Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. Indoor air pollution can be linked to a few key causes.
1. Smoke
As kids, we all heard about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke is made up of approximately 4,000 chemicals, including carcinogens, which you breathe in even after the visible smoke has cleared the room.
If you or someone who lives with you smokes inside, the level of pollutants inside your home increases.
2. Mold and Fungi
A home that has its fair share of moisture is more prone to growing mold. Mold negatively affects your home air quality and your health.
The best way to solve this particular pollutant problem is to find the source of the mold and remove it properly.
3. Formaldehyde
You wouldn’t think that your common household products would slowly be leaching pollutants into the air, but they are.
Things like tile grout, paint, and cigarette smoke contain formaldehyde, which disperses through the air in your home. Thanks to your home being so well insulated, it doesn’t always leave.
For more information on formaldehyde, the Government of Canada has created this useful guide on air quality levels.
4. Dust Particles
Perhaps one of the most common indoor pollutants is dust. Now, we know everyone has dust, and that is perfectly normal.
But if you have dust building up in your duct work or air filter, particularly if you’ve recently completed a construction job, you could have higher than normal levels of pollutants. If you notice higher than normal dust levels, book a duct cleaning appointment with us.
5. Radon
Radon is a colourless, odorless, mildly radioactive gas that, if it builds up in your home, can cause major health problems, like lung cancer.
It can enter your house through cracks in the foundation, building joints, and drains.
The best way to determine if radon is present in unhealthy levels in your home is to hire a professional to complete a test and propose the best options for reducing it. If the amount of radon in your is deemed unhealthy, you will need a professional certified under the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) help solve the problem.
Indoor Air Pollution is Dangerous to Your Health
The biggest problem with poor home air quality is the risk it poses to your health. There are some common symptoms that, depending on the state of your individual health and the amount of pollutants, you’ll experience.
These include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Dry or irritated throat, skin, and eyes
If you have a pre-existing breathing or heart condition, indoor air pollution may cause an increase in symptoms.
Keep Track of Your Symptoms, and Talk to Professionals
If you begin experiencing any of the above symptoms, keep track of when they start, if they go away, and your location when you experience any changes. For example, if you start coughing in your basement, but the cough goes away when you’re at the park, there’s a chance your home has high levels of pollutants.
Speak to both your doctor and an inspector if you are concerned about your home air quality.
How to Improve Your Home Air Quality
It’s scary thinking about all the pollutants mixing unseen in your home, affecting your home air quality. Luckily, there are ways to combat the problem.
One of the best ways to combat indoor air pollution is to install an air filtration system. It will pull the air from your ducts, and take it through a stage by stage filtration process before sending it back into your home.
We’ll Help Get Your Air Clean Again
Our team of professional technicians will not only install an air filtration system that works with your home and your needs, but walk you through the process so you know exactly what’s it’s doing and how it’s helping you.
Contact us for a free service quote to start the process of improving your home air quality.
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