We spend so much of our time indoors, yet most people are unaware that the air inside their homes or workplaces may be up to five times more polluted than the outside air.
In this guide, we will explore the causes of indoor air pollution, how to monitor air quality, and suggest ways to improve air quality inside.
What are the causes of indoor air pollution?
The air inside our homes, workplaces and schools can be contaminated with different physical, chemical and biological pollutants that can impact our health.
Poor air quality can lead to fatigue, nausea, headaches, and irritate our airways. A lack of ventilation can also increase the spread of viruses.
You may be wondering what is contaminating the air inside. There are three types of indoor pollution:
- Particulate Matter: Tiny particles of solids or liquids in the air fall to surfaces as dust.
- Gasses: The most common problematic gases present in the air are carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
- Volatile Organic Compounds: These are airborne chemical compounds created during processes such as cooking, heating and when using cleaning products.
In our haste to create better-insulated buildings to reduce energy usage, we may unwittingly trap these pollutants inside and further reduce air quality.
How to Monitor Indoor Air Quality
The first stage of improving air quality is to collect information about the air inside your building.
There are a variety of measuring devices that can help you to understand the quality of your inside air. Typical measurements include temperature, CO2, CO and humidity.
Installing accurate measuring systems means you can monitor air quality and see how effective various strategies are in mitigating any pollutants.
You will find an excellent selection of wired, wireless, networkable and standalone portable sensors at Sensors and Transmitters to suit a wide range of needs. Please contact us for more information.
Our Top Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality
Once you have installed a monitoring system, you can easily improve indoor air quality by making straightforward changes.
1. Let in Fresh Air
Most of the time, if you want to improve indoor air quality, you simply need to let in some fresh air. Open some windows or a door to redress the balance.
One thing to consider is whether the air you are letting in is fresh enough. There is a risk that you will bring in additional pollutants, such as traffic pollution or pollen. It may be better to keep windows closed early morning and evening if these pollutants are a problem or use an air purifier to remove the contaminants.
2. Make the Most of the Sun
UV screening on glass in windows and doors helps to protect us from harmful UV rays, but sunlight also has beneficial properties. Sunlight kills harmful bacteria and viruses with a success rate of up to 6% more than in dark rooms, according to a recent study.
3. Improve your Cleaning Schedule
Pet hair, dust mites and other allergens can build up quickly on your home or workplace surfaces.
Wiping surfaces with a damp cloth or vacuuming regularly are good ways to remove these pollutants. Steam cleaning is excellent for eradicating dust mites on fabric surfaces and carpets.
4. Purify with Plants
Plants not only look good, but they also help to absorb CO2 and release oxygen into the air via photosynthesis.
Most leafy plants will help, but peace lilies are exceptionally effective at purifying indoor air.
5. Banish Damp
Where there is dampness, there will be an increased risk of mould growth. Mould spores are particularly harmful to health and can lead to breathing problems such as asthma and COPD.
To reduce the risk of damp, it is best to use a humidity monitor, and if you have ongoing problems, you should invest in a dehumidifier. Avoid drying clothes inside the home and ventilate rooms to reduce condensation.
6. Use an Extractor Fan When Cooking
We are often well aware of the smells emitted when we cook, but harmful gases such as NO2, CO and CH2O can also be released into the air.
Using a cooker hood will remove some of these emissions, especially if ducted to the outdoors. Where you cannot connect your cooker hood to an outdoor vent, you can use a recirculation mode which processes the emissions through a charcoal filter.
7. Check your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
To optimise the performance of your HVAC system, you should consider the following:
- Regulate temperature and monitor humidity.
- Clean the vents and filters regularly to reduce the chance of bacteria, mould and dust mites dispersing through the system.
- Use a HEPA filter to increase air purification.
