The air quality within a building or structure is called Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Understanding what affects indoor air quality is necessary to mitigate it because though sometimes unhealthy indoor air does not affect our health immediately it does so eventually. Our homes, often seen as safe havens, require our attention to ensure that we are breathing clean, healthy air that ultimately improves indoor air quality. Read along to uncover why IAQ matters and how it silently shapes our well-being.

• We breathe thousands of times a day. However, we overlook what we breathe, unlike the scrutiny we apply to the water and food we consume. While the outdoor air is acknowledged as polluted, it is vital to recognize that this very air infiltrates our homes too.
• everyday activities contribute to hidden pollutants like pathogens, viruses, mites, mold, dust, pollen, and even chemicals from cleaning agents. These imperceptible culprits, though unseen, are very much present.
• In fact, indoor air can be five times worse than outdoor air. With up to 90% of our time spent indoors, the air we breathe at home can pose greater risks, especially for the vulnerable – the young, elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
• Enter the COVID-19 era, and our perception of air quality has dramatically shifted. Though we breathe more than ten thousand liters of air every day, indoor air quality was an inconsequential matter of concern prior to COVID.
• Short-term effects of subpar indoor air quality include eye, nose, and throat irritation, along with headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Research attributes 7 million deaths worldwide annually, with 60% linked to poor IAQ because of poor indoor air quality. Serious health issues such as asthma, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases find their roots in bad indoor air quality.
• Crucially, monitoring indoor air pollution is key to understanding and tackling the issue. Innovations like Air Bubble, an air quality monitoring device, employ compact, low-energy sensors to provide real-time data on pollutant levels. Additionally, tailored solutions for improved ventilation and air filtration can slash COVID-19 transmission by up to 80%.

Following are some of the sources of indoor air pollution:

• Inadequate ventilation: The lack of proper airflow allows pollutants to accumulate indoors.
• High temperature and humidity: It can foster the growth of unwanted contaminants.
• Combustion sources: Furnaces, stoves, and other combustion processes involving oil, gas, kerosene, coal, and wood emit harmful substances like CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, PAHs, and PM.
• Tobacco products: They release environmental tobacco smoke and PM.
• Building materials and furnishings: Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation, new flooring, upholstery, carpets, cabinetry, or pressed wood products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Household cleaning products: Chemicals present in these products contribute to indoor air pollution.
• Central heating, cooling, and humidification systems: These devices can distribute pollutants throughout indoor spaces.
• Outdoor influences: Radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution can infiltrate indoor environments.
• Outdoor air infiltration: Outdoor air seeps indoors through openings, joints, cracks, windows, and doors, carrying pollutants with it.
• Air exchange rate and wind velocity: They affect the distribution of pollutants.
• Biological contaminants: Bacteria, molds, fungi, spores, and pet dander lead to poor indoor air quality.

Did you get to know something new about indoor air pollution today? Dive deeper at https://handholdersglobal.com/insights for more intriguing reads. For more information, connect with us at +91 8926060752. Happy reading!!!