Indoor air quality is a growing concern today because homes are being built tighter to be more energy efficient. Existing homes are being tightened up with weather stripping, insulation, storm windows and doors.
These energy savings come with a price, since the exchange of indoor air and fresh outdoor air is limited. When the indoor air becomes dirty and polluted, it’s trapped and recirculated. It is important to clean the air by filtering out these pollutants because they can cause you to suffer from flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, nausea and respiratory irritation.
They also can aggravate asthma and allergy conditions. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the amount of pollutants in the air, such as frequent vacuuming and dusting, but the smallest particles that cause the most irritation can only be removed by filtering devices. To complicate matters, there are three distinct types of indoor air pollutants. Particulates – which include…
- dust
- pollen
- dust mites
- animal dander
- carpet fibers
- lint
Micro-organisms – which include…
- mold
- influenza
- fungi
- viruses
- bacteria
- germs
Toxins (gases) – which include…
- benzene
- chemical vapors
- formaldehyde
- carbon monoxide
- paint
- pesticides
- carpet fumes
- pet odors
- ozone
- cleaning vapors
- smoke
