Consider the very real facts about air quality and health

Air pollution is a global environmental health concern. Imagine, if we get the quality of the air in your home tested. The results may surprise you with what you are inhaling daily and what impact it creates on your health.

Many are unknowingly inhaling fumes from household chemicals, radon, carbon monoxide (which is a killer), biological contaminants, pesticides, lead, formaldehyde and asbestos. 

There is a term for buildings that have poor-quality air: Sick Building Syndrome. You may also hear of “building-related related illness (BRI)? It means that person’s health has been impaired by what he is exposed to in a building, including his home and workplace. 

The quality of indoor air has become a serious safety issue and occupational hazard. Whole-house air purifiers are becoming essential for the health of our families.

When the air quality is inferior, this can result in a variety of health problems including shortness of breath, headaches and nausea. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is affected by the amount of air intake in a building, and it contaminants in a building. It includes mold, bacteria, vapors, fungi, dust and chemicals, as well as insufficient temperature, lighting, humidity and excessive noise. Get yourself home and water purifiers and stay protected.

Today, every home must have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector to detect the gas that is not completely oxidized.

Each year, many people succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can come from gas space heaters or un-vented kerosene heaters, and gas water heaters. Leaking furnaces or chimneys, wood stoves, gas stoves, and gasoline-powered equipment can also cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Traces of carbon monoxide in your home at low levels it can cause fatigue in humans along with chest pain. It can be painful for those who have heart disease. At higher levels, carbon monoxide can cause headaches, impaired coordination and vision, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms. It’s better to rush to the nearest hospital if the concentrations are extremely high. 

When a house is full of mold this definitely destroys air quality and can make people very sick. Mold is tiny organisms that live on animal and plant matter. Its purpose is to assist in breaking down dead material and helping to recycle the nutrients in the environment. Mold makes spores and the spores are spread by insects and in the water and air. It can impact everything from clothing to furniture, and is often noticeable as a stain, smudge or discoloured patch. It can cause a problem to your roof if it leaks and causes flood at your home. People exposed to mold develop allergies from breathing mold spores. In a worst-case scenario, mold exposure can cause toxic outcomes and infections in humans. 

Many things contribute to poor indoor air quality or indoor air pollution, such as cleaning products, fireplaces, cigarettes, and stoves. When a home is extremely insulated this traps contaminants inside as the air circulation is reduced.

Do not dismiss the impact that indoor air pollution can have on your health. Your homes require proper ventilation so that air re-circulates. Remove combustible materials from your home. Organic vapors that come from formaldehyde is found in construction materials. Items including panelling, plywood, particle board and fiberboard are very dangerous to your health. Cigarette smoke is also detrimental to the residents.