The quality of the air we breathe has long been in focus politically when it comes to regulations around traffic and emissions. However, what has received less attention to date is the quality of the air in our indoor environments.
This is in part because indoor air quality is rarely measured regularly, which means we don’t have a complete picture of the scale of the problem.
But according to the Stockholm Environment Institute, poor indoor air quality is the “largest environmental risk to public health in the UK”. This report doesn’t just refer to the air quality in our homes, but also in public buildings such as schools and hospitals.
While more research is needed, it’s clear that more needs to be done on a public and private level to address the quality of the air we breathe in indoor environments.
But what makes our indoor air quality poor and why is it such a risk to public health?
What affects indoor air quality?
There are several ways in which indoor air quality is affected. First, by whatever pollutants enter a building through open windows, doors and other gaps.
This can mean the likes of particulate matter, which is produced by petrol and diesel vehicles, still enters our indoor environments. In addition, tree or flower pollen can also get indoors, affecting those with asthma and allergies.
But this isn’t the only source of indoor pollution. Many of the pollutants in the air we breathe come from the likes of furniture, paints and cleaning products.
A lack of adequate ventilation also affects the quality of the air we breathe when we’re inside, because this can result in a build-up of carbon dioxide. In some cases, buildings have become less “breathable” because of steps taken to make them more energy efficient.
Then the humidity of the building has an impact on the quality of air we breathe. When humidity is high, there is a lot of moisture in the air. This moisture can trap pollutants and make the quality of the air in a room or building worse by contributing to the likes of mould growth.
Why is indoor air quality important for our health?
In the UK, the average person spends 90 per cent of their time in indoor environments, whether that’s home, the workplace or school.
This means our health can be affected by the quality of the air in those locations. For those with asthma or allergies, it’s especially important to be mindful of indoor air quality, as this can directly affect your symptoms.
However, some pollutants are known to cause cancer and other respiratory illnesses, which is a further reason to explore ways in which you can improve the air quality in your indoor environments.
What steps can you take to improve indoor air quality?
One of the simplest steps you can take to improve the quality of the air in your home is to ensure you have adequate ventilation. This might mean opening a window to let fresh air in and to let some of the stale air from indoors out.
But it can also involve using an extractor fan when you’re cooking, or using low-chemical cleaning products around your home.
Another option is to look at how you can switch to a warm air heating system in your home. For instance, Johnson & Starley warm air heating systems can be installed with “Cleanflow” electronic air filtration.
These filters are able to remove up to 95 per cent of the airborne pollution found in indoor environments, including tobacco smoke, allergens, dust and pollen. The filters achieve this by removing microscopic pollution as well as larger dust particles.
To find out whether your home is suitable for a warm air heating system, you’ll need to book an appointment with a warm air heating engineer. If you already have this kind of heating system installed at your property, but it is older, now could also be the ideal time to upgrade.
These newer models of heaters are designed to not only warm your home efficiently, but also to keep the air you breathe clear of pollutants. This makes your home cleaner as well as ensuring your air quality is higher.
In addition, if you are replacing an old warm air heating system with a newer model, you will find that it’s much quieter than the older heater, as well as having more intuitive temperature controls to keep your home at a comfortable temperature all year round.
A further benefit of upgrading to a warm air heating system with air filtration is that it will help your furnishing last for longer by creating more optimum conditions in your home.