Outdoor air pollution is an obvious danger because it’s hard to miss. Auto exhausts, industrial waste, city smog—everyone knows they’re a health hazard and a call for solutions is on everyone’s lips. But there’s another threat just as perilous—a hidden threat because we’re immersed in it, and therefore usually unaware of it. Of course we’re speaking about the threat of indoor air pollution.

The dangers posed by poor indoor air quality are too often underestimated and overlooked. According to a recent John Hopkins University study, indoor air pollution can be many times higher than the outside environment. A similar study by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that, on average, the air in our homes and offices is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air.

Scientific studies have found that indoor air pollution aggravates and exacerbates the symptoms of allergies and asthma, and contribute to causing nausea, fatigue, headaches, hormonal imbalances, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system. Evidence has even been found linking poor indoor air quality to certain cancers and vascular problems.

Children who spend eighty percent of their time inside are particularly affected by the ravages of indoor air pollution. Now consider the total lack of any regulations for indoor air quality, and that includes in day care centers and schools.

A study published by Dr. Rebecca Altman, a lecturer from Tufts University, alerted people to the magnitude that people’s unawareness of the harmful condition of their indoor air quality contributed to the problem. She also pointed out another obstacle to resolving the problem in that poor air quality indoors is hardly ever the result of just one cause.

To convey how vast and expansive is the list of agents that contribute to indoor air pollution, consider the following mere sampling:

  • Cigarette smoke
  • Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
  • Chlorine (including that from regular tap water)
  • Household cleaners
  • Clothing that has been dry cleaned
  • Perfumes and colognes
  • Cosmetics

Then there are all the biological pollutants we rarely see and can hardly keep up with when we do, like mildews, molds, bacteria, pollen, animal dander, dust mites, and viruses.

Building materials—including those used for remodeling and renovation—are also contributors. Some of the harmful agents in this category are paint, glue, lacquers, plywood and particle board.

And homes aren’t the only indoor areas affected by this danger. Offices are affected too—sometimes more so—with their copy machines and printers, fluids and inks and processing solutions and so on.

Fortunately there are an abundance of ways to reduce indoor air pollution and improve indoor air quality in your home and office. A major first step would be the use of a HEPA air purifier.

A HEPA air purifier runs quietly and indiscriminately in the background as you live your regular life. Leading health advocates and authorities, including The American Lung Association, have found HEPA filters to be incredibly beneficial in removing particles from the air. HEPA air purifiers are ozone-free and provide 99.97% filtration of particles down to a size of .3 microns in diameter.

Other ways to improve indoor air quality include water filter systems, radon detectors in your home, regular household cleanings using biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning agents, and using green building materials for all your construction projects.

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  4. The Dangers of Ionic Air Purifiers
  5. Freeway Pollution Extends Further than Previously Thought
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  7. Indoor Air Pollution Can Make Asthma Suffering Worse
  8. Air Pollution and the Brain
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