Indoor Air Quality Can Be Worse Than Outdoor Pollution

Have you ever considered that the air inside your home may be more damaging to your health than the air blowing around outside? That’s right! You can see, taste and smell all kinds of outdoor pollution, but there’s a good chance you may be also inhaling a high amount of dangerous airborne particles and fumes when inside. Not even four walls, a roof and a solid foundation can ensure healthy indoor air, and that’s because a lot of indoor air pollution doesn’t get circulated out or removed—it gets trapped inside with you.

High indoor air pollution means allergy sufferers and individuals who are sensitive to chemicals will notice their symptoms worsening. After you learn why and how indoor air quality can be worse than the air outside, you will want to schedule services for indoor air quality testing, and maybe even radon testing in Basalt, CO.

Sick building syndrome

The term “sick building syndrome” can refer to the people inside a building, as well as the building itself. Sick building syndrome is a phenomenon that occurs when people spend a lot of time in a structure filled with indoor air pollution, which then causes symptoms of illness, health issues or general discomfort. The syndrome is directly linked to simply being in the building, yet the cause and type of sickness cannot be identified. The building itself is sick with pollution and, in turn, makes its occupants sick.

Some of the most common sources of indoor air pollution include:

• Poor ventilation: Poor indoor air quality can be attributed to inadequate ventilation, which is often a problem for houses and buildings lacking proper air conditioning. Without AC, high humidity can increase indoor air pollutants. The air conditioner must be clean to ensure the circulating air is fresh and free of contaminants.
• Mold spores and more: Between regular air conditioner maintenance, duct cleaning, changing the air filter and weekly house cleaning (like dusting and vacuuming), your indoor living environment has a better chance at reducing mold, mildew, bacteria and virus growth. All of these air pollutants can be found inside buildings.
• Radon: Radon is a harmful gas that comes up through the soil and rock beneath homes and other structures—which is how it winds up in indoor air. This gas may contain radium or uranium; it is radioactive, odorless, tasteless and colorless, and is a known cause of lung cancer.

Other potential sources of indoor pollution include household chemical cleansers and tobacco smoke.

Indoor toxins have an effect on your health

Symptoms of indoor toxin exposure include trouble breathing, coughing, burning or dry eyes, digestive issues, reoccurring rash, sinus problems, sore throat, fatigue, poor concentration, sleep issues and more.

Contact an indoor air testing service

Poor indoor air quality is likely to cause general discomfort, health issues and even damage to objects in a building over time. If you want answers about the air you are breathing, get an indoor air quality test or seek more specific tests like radon testing in Basalt, CO. Contact the experienced team at HealthSafe Inspections Inc. to learn more.

Categorised in: Indoor Air Quality

This post was written by Writer