(Last Updated On: April 17, 2018)
Pets, mites, and molds produce allergens, not to mention bacteria and viruses that spread infections.
But indoor air also contains dust, phthalates, flame retardants and other endocrine disruptors. The concentration of these pollutants depends on several factors: outdoor pollution, smoking, type of building, ventilation, the presence of pets, building and decoration materials, furniture and equipment, cleaning products, etc.
Faced with all these sources of pollutants, the potential health impacts are many: pathologies of the respiratory system (rhinitis, bronchitis), headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, nausea, impairment of intellectual faculties, asthma, allergies, chronic diseases, cancers … Molds can also be involved in infectious mechanisms, and toxic and irritative effects are also attributable to them.
To reduce indoor air pollution, it is recommended to ventilate living areas for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, winter or summer. Ventilation is essential in case of occasional pollution: activities generating moisture, cooking, DIY, painting, vacuuming … It is also advisable to maintain the combustion equipment, clean the grilles and air vents a once a year and sweep the chimney ducts once a year.
How to reduce indoor air pollution?
indoor air pollution: Hard to imagine that the air we breathe is even more polluted inside the house than outside, even in the city! And yet, it’s true. Furniture, paints, floor coverings, household appliances and cleaning products release many chemical molecules into the air.
Pets, mites, and molds produce allergens, not to mention bacteria and viruses that spread infections.In total, our interior contains hundreds of pollutants. According to the Observatory of Indoor Air Quality (OQAI), all homes tested are contaminated with formaldehyde, a molecule classified carcinogen, and some at doses above the threshold value set by the World Health Organization.
health (0.12 mg / m3). Chemical particles, Smoke of cigarettes, candles, cleaning products, viruses, bacteria, allergens, molds, but also moisture or dry air can promote or aggravate respiratory problems, The sources of pollution are numerous, causing genes and respiratory diseases.
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To address these concerns, Honeywell offers air purifiers supposed to purify or clean the air of our interiors. What are they worth? Read also: Honeywell True HEPA Air Purifier Review
Since the last peaks of winter particles, air pollution has become a public health issue. Yet the danger is not so much in the street as in four walls. According to WHO, indoor pollution can be up to 15 times higher!
Of the pollutants present in indoor air, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are particularly common. These are chemicals that volatilize at room temperature. Some of them are toxic: this is particularly the case of formaldehyde and benzene, both carcinogenic.
A cocktail of pollutants in the indoor air
But indoor air also contains dust, phthalates, flame retardants and other endocrine disruptors. The concentration of these pollutants depends on several factors: outdoor pollution, smoking, type of building, ventilation, the presence of pets, building and decoration materials, furniture and equipment, cleaning products, etc.70% of dwellings have a formaldehyde content 5 to 50 times higher than that of the exterior.
Other pollutants are present at concentrations 10 times higher than those of outside air. A study published by the indoor air quality observatory in 567 homes in 74 cities found that about 10% of dwellings were polluted with 3 to 8 chemicals in high concentrations.
37% of dwellings in metropolitan France are also contaminated by molds. In nearly 600 000 dwellings, this contamination is visible and greater than 1 m2. It is actually a flora of mold, composed of fifty different species.
What are the health impacts?
Faced with all these sources of pollutants, the potential health impacts are many: pathologies of the respiratory system (rhinitis, bronchitis), headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, nausea, impairment of intellectual faculties, asthma, allergies, chronic diseases, cancers … Molds can also be involved in infectious mechanisms, and toxic and irritative effects are also attributable to them.
An action plan on indoor air quality, developed in October 2013, aims to reduce this pollution.
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It focuses on public information, the development of labeling for products likely to emit pollutants into the air (furniture and cleaning products), the improvement of housing ventilation and the generalization of less emitting building materials.
Read also: Prevent Asthma: Reduce Symptoms Of Indoor Asthma
How to reduce indoor air pollution?
To reduce indoor air pollution, it is recommended to ventilate living areas for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, winter or summer. Ventilation is essential in case of occasional pollution: activities generating moisture, cooking, DIY, painting, vacuuming … It is also advisable to maintain the combustion equipment, clean the grilles and air vents a once a year and sweep the chimney ducts once a year.
To reduce the pollution emitted by the equipment in your home, it is advisable to prefer natural wood to chipboard, to use low VOC paints, to prefer products made with glues that do not contain formaldehyde and avoid formaldehyde-based paints.
For the household, favor natural products, like baking soda; almost all industrial maintenance products emitting formaldehyde and fine particles. Avoid storing cleaning products in the kitchen and do not use incense or scented candles!
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