Health Lifestyle Social Issues

Indoor Air Pollution: Here’s What You Need To Know

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6 min read
Summary

Have you thought about indoor air pollution in your home? This is an important factor for your health. Get the information you need to know, including how you can protect yourself and your family from negative symptoms and serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and lung disease.

When we think about air pollution, most of us visualize big industrial plants billowing out smoke. Most people believe that they’re safe from these pollutants when they’re inside their homes. But in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Indoor air pollution is just as big of a problem for your health.

Recent data indicates that indoor pollutant concentrations are typically 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels, and occasionally more than 100 times higher, depending on activities like cooking or smoking indoors.

Every day, you inhale about 11,000 liters of air. The air you breathe circulates throughout your entire body, providing critical fuel to internal organs, including your heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver.

If the air that you breathe is polluted, in a matter of moments, you’re introducing toxins into every cell of your body.

What symptoms should you look out for?

Many people find themselves complaining of recurring nasal congestion, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, or sneezing – without realizing that these are common symptoms of exposure to indoor air pollution. Other symptoms may include wheezing; irritability; itchy throat, nose, or skin; dry or watery eyes; hives; coughing; and even stomach aches.

While these common ailments can be uncomfortable, they are relatively mild compared to the problems that air pollution can cause in the long run. Indoor air pollution has been linked to serious illnesses including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and to cognitive decline, impaired memory, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. According to the World Health Organization, children are particularly vulnerable to the health problems that can arise from indoor air pollution.

Where does this indoor air pollution come from?

Pollutants found within your home originate from both internal and external sources. Within your home, your air could be contaminated by:

  • Cleaning products
  • Mold and dampness
  • Air fresheners
  • Perfume and deodorants with synthetic fragrances and other chemical compounds
  • Gas stoves, ovens, and dryers
  • Candles and fireplaces
  • Burnt food
  • Cooking on Non-stick cookware
  • Pet Dander
  • House plants (sorry, most don’t clean the air- they actually collect dust)
  • Insect control chemicals
  • Tobacco products
  • Termites, cockroaches, and dust mites; including their droppings
  • Chemical found in building materials, such as asbestos, formaldehyde, and lead
  • Outgassing of toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from house paint, carpet and furniture
  • Bacteria and viruses

The most common external sources include pollen, dust, and pollutants that come in through ventilation systems and through open doors and windows. As well, many homes are contaminated with radon, which can come through the cracks in basements and crawl spaces. Wildfire smoke has become a significant source of indoor PM2.5 pollution, especially during smoke events, making indoor air as hazardous as outdoor air without proper filtration.

What can you do to protect yourself?

These are some of the steps you can take to reduce the levels of pollutants in your home:

  • Never let anyone smoke indoors.
  • Keep indoor humidity under 50% by ensuring that exhaust fans in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms vent to the outside. Installing vents and attic fans can help too.
  • Make sure gas burning appliances are fully vented to the outdoors.
  • Convert to electric or induction cooktops instead of gas stoves to minimize indoor air pollution.
  • Never store chemicals, paints, or solvents in the basement or an attached garage.
  • Only buy ‘green’ furnishings, upholstery, and carpeting that do not contain formaldehyde.
  • Use low volatile organic chemical (VOC) paints which emit fewer toxins.
  • Vacuum or sweep regularly to clear out dust mites, pet dander, and debris.
  • Use eco-friendly non-toxic household cleaning supplies – or make your own.
  • Open the windows as much as possible, even if only for a few minutes.
  • Clean or change all the filters in your house regularly – especially those for your heater or furnace, air conditioner, air purifier, and vacuum.
  • If you have pets, groom them well.
  • Clean any mold that develops on walls or shower curtains, or on sinks.
  • Consider purchasing a quality air filtration system.

What type of air filters are available and how do they work?

There are a number of different types of air filters available on the market today and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. You should evaluate a number of different criteria, including the type of filter used, contaminants removed, the CADR or performance rating, noise level, and the cost of replacement filters.

Here is a high-level summary of what you need to know to help you make an informed choice.

HEPA and Ultra-HEPA

HEPA is an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. These filters are designed to trap 99.97% of airborne particles as small as .3 microns. Ultra-HEPA filters go even further, removing particles as small as .003 microns (100 times smaller than HEPA).

HEPA filters are the most commonly used air filters and the ones generally recommended by medical professionals. They are virtually 100% effective at removing most particulate matter from the air – including pet dander, mold, pollen, dust mite debris, bacteria and most viruses. Ultra HEPA will capture the smallest viruses and the smallest airborne particulates like smoke. HEPA only does half the job of purifying the air because it does not remove chemicals, gasses fumes, aerosols, and other VOCs.

Indoor air pollution - What are microns?

Charcoal and Activated Carbon

Charcoal and activated carbon complement HEPA by removing contaminants in a gas state that HEPA alone cannot remove. Inexpensive air purifiers found at big box retailers that claim to have a charcoal filter usually only have a thin fabric impregnated with charcoal that at best reduces odors and loses its effectiveness in a matter of days. To effectively remove gasses, volatile organic chemicals, and ozone, look for an air purifier that has a substantial activated carbon filter, which is around an inch thick filled, with little pellets of activated carbon. In order to remove formaldehyde, a concerning contaminant outgassed by building materials, the activated carbon filter material should also contain potassium permanganate, a pinkish mineral that removes aldehydes including formaldehyde from the air.

Electronic Filters

Electronic filters, also known as electrostatic precipitators and ionic air purifiers, work by putting a positive or negative charge on the incoming air and then capturing contaminants on oppositely charged collection plates. The collection plates can either be metal or plastic. Electronic filters either circulate the air silently without fans or actively with fans. Like HEPA filters, they are not effective at capturing gasses or reducing odors.

The advantages of electronic filters are:

  1. The collections plates are washable and never need to be replaced; and
  2. They are generally quieter than HEPA filters.

The disadvantages are:

  1. They are much less efficient than HEPA filters and require multiple passes of air through the filter to capture all the contaminants;
  2. They have much lower performance than HEPA filters;
  3. Many produce trace amounts of ozone which is a lung irritant; and
  4. They do not circulate enough air to include an activated carbon filter to remove gasses.

For most people, the disadvantages of electronic filters make them a poor overall choice.

Understanding the CADR rating

In addition to looking at the type of filter your system has, you may also want to evaluate the CADR rating of the air purifier. CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate, and it is a standardized system for reporting the effectiveness of a particular air purifier in removing smoke, dust, and pollen from the air. The higher the number, the more effective the air purifier will be.

The range for a CADR for tobacco smoke can be as high as 10 and 450. For dust, it is as much as 400, and for pollen 450. It is important to remember that CADR only measures particulate matter (smoke, dust, and pollen). It does not measure gasses, which include VOCs.

Your body requires air to survive every moment of the day. Clean air is fundamental to your health. When you rid your home air of toxins and keep it clean, your body will thank you for the rest of your life.

Editor’s Note:

The most common problem that consumers run into when trying to select an air purifier is finding one that removes a broad spectrum of contaminants, in both particulate and gas form, at an affordable price. Most air purifiers that clean both particulate and gases can easily cost $1,000+ and are generally only available online or at specialty retailers.

In this regard, the AirDoctor is something of a breakthrough. It’s the most affordable air purifier we’ve found that removes both particulate matter and gases. And right now, they’re offering Food Revolution Network members a special price. Click here to find out more.

If you make a purchase through that link, AirDoctor will contribute a portion of the proceeds to Food Revolution Network’s mission. (Thank you!)

Featured Image: iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia

  • Thank you for your candid feedback, Korista. We very much value your opinion and perspective. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

  • Hi Marilyn! Thanks for sharing your experience. We’re sorry to hear that Air Doctor didn’t work well for you. We always appreciate hearing other perspectives. It’s helpful for readers to consider a range of experiences before making a decision.

    We are aware that there can be a noticeable smell when you first open the unit, but it typically dissipates after the unit has been running for a day or two. If the smell persists beyond that, it could indicate an issue with the machine itself. If you care to try using the unit again, we recommend reaching out to AirDoctor directly for support ([email protected]). –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

  • Dear FRN,
    I understand that affiliate advertising can be a legitimate and practical way to generate much-needed funding. However, it raises concerns for me about the credibility of both the product and the organization. When financial incentives are involved, it’s difficult to trust that the recommendations are based solely on merit rather than on which product offers the highest payout. Even if FRN’s intentions are entirely genuine at the outset, there’s no guarantee that future decisions won’t be influenced by financial pressures. Unfortunately, the continuous promotion of products has shifted the way I view and relate to FRN.

  • I like the good info you provided, but don’t agree that Air Doctor is a good choice simply because it removes gases and particulates. On the recommendation of some influencer, I bought an Air Doctor a couple of years ago. The plastic housing had a bad chemical smell. After two weeks of running it on the highest speed, the plastic still smelled bad enough to give me a headache. 6 months of trying to air it out (but not having it turned on) didn’t do much to reduce the plastic smell. I got rid of it. I use IQ Air MultiGas, which has a no-smell plastic housing when it arrives. I also like Aller-Air and Austin Air with metal housing. IQ Air Multigas is expensive to start with but the carbon filters and HEPA filters last way way longer than the Air Doctor ones would, so it’s more affordable than it appears a first glace.

  • What about Vape particles. I’d like to know more about Vape liquids safety and the emitted chemical particles

  • Hi Kim,
    Thanks for your candid comment. I’m sorry our sales strategies landed on you in a negative way.

    We offer a broad range of tools and resources to support people in standing up for healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet. The vast majority of these are informational and free, however, we do advertise for affiliate products that we believe in, because this does assist our income here at FRN.

    Affiliate advertising allows FRN to have a sustainable operation, which can pay the many people who work hard putting it all together. You may be aware of other advocacy organizations working towards a healthy and sustainable future that ask for donations and grants in their efforts to sustain and grow their operations. At FRN, we use a different form of funding the work we do. We occasionally offer our participants the opportunity to purchase a valuable product, which we have meticulously prepared to be professional and high quality. As a result of our success, we are able to reach more people of all financial means. We believe our work is proving to successfully make a meaningful contribution to a food revolution.

    Truly, we appreciate your engagement and participation in this movement and I hope that you can find compassion for the strategies we are trying out in an effort to make our work a success. And again, thank you for your feedback! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

  • Good advice, but I am disappointed that you have become a salesman for an assortment of products, in this case a particular air purifier.

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