When you think about your home’s health, you probably think about things like clean surfaces, fresh water, and keeping your family healthy. But there is another important part of a healthy home that is easy to overlook: the air you breathe every day. October is Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to take a closer look at the air inside our homes and learn why it matters. So, what exactly is indoor air quality?
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air inside and around buildings, including homes, offices, schools, and other indoor spaces. It looks at the pollutants and environmental factors that can affect the air we breathe and, in turn, our comfort and well-being. The air inside your home may contain a variety of pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, mold, particulate matter, and other contaminants. Some of these pollutants can come from everyday products and activities, while others can enter your home from outdoors. The tricky part? You often cannot see or smell many of these pollutants. That means your home can look clean and feel comfortable while still having indoor air quality concerns.
What Can Affect the Air Inside Your Home?
There are many potential sources of indoor air pollutants, and some may be things you encounter every day. Cleaning products, paints, adhesives, furniture, building materials, air fresheners, personal care products, and even certain hobbies can release VOCs into the air. Cooking, burning candles, using fireplaces or other combustion sources, and poor ventilation can also affect indoor air quality.
Moisture is another important factor. Areas with excess moisture can create conditions where mold may grow, potentially contributing mold spores and other particles to the indoor environment. Outdoor air can also make its way inside. Pollen, wildfire smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other outdoor pollutants can enter through open doors and windows, ventilation systems, or other pathways. In other words, your indoor air is constantly changing based on what is happening inside and outside your home.
Why Does Indoor Air Quality Matter?
We spend a significant amount of time indoors, so the quality of the air around us matters. Poor indoor air quality can contribute to symptoms such as headaches, irritation, coughing, congestion, fatigue, and allergy-like symptoms. The effects can vary depending on the type and concentration of pollutants, how long someone is exposed, and individual sensitivity. Children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to certain indoor air pollutants.
The first step toward improving your indoor environment is understanding what may be affecting it.
You Can’t Always Tell What Is in Your Air
One of the biggest challenges with indoor air quality is that you can’t always rely on your senses to tell you when there is a problem. Some pollutants have noticeable odors, while others may have little or no smell at all. A home can smell fresh and still contain pollutants that you cannot see or detect. That is why understanding what Indoor Air Quality is, is so important!
Start With Your Air
Indoor air quality is a big part of creating a healthy living environment, but understanding it doesn’t have to be complicated. This Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month, take a moment to think about the air inside your home. What products are you using? How well is your home ventilated? Are there sources of moisture or combustion? And most importantly, do you know what is actually in your indoor air? Knowledge is the first step toward making informed decisions about your home’s indoor environment.