Indoor Air Quality
FACT - INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM
Did you know that Indoor air pollution has been described by the EPA and Congress as America’s #1 environmental health problem? The EPA also reports that indoor air can be up to one hundred times more polluted than the air outside. One hundred times! Air pollutants and poor indoor air quality can cause allergies, sick building syndrome, bacteria infections, and spread viruses to name a few.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY FACTS
• People spend 75-90% of their time indoors
• Exposure to airborne contamination is considerable.
• 50% of all major office buildings have contaminated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). If not properly maintained, they are a hotbed for growth of molds and bacteria.
• Each person inhales over 3,500 gallons of air each day. Children inhale more particles for their size then adolescents or adults.
• Polluted air causes 94% of all respiratory problems.
• More than 31 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, about 1/3 are children under 18.
• About 40,000 dust mites, a common household allergen, can live in one ounce of dust.
• An estimated 10-15% of the entire population may be allergic to cat or dog dander.
• A person sheds up to 700,000 skin flakes per day.
3 TYPES OF INDOOR POLLUTANTS
1. Particulate
Problem: Particulates are tiny particles suspended in the air. Common particulates include residential pollen, dust mites, dust, smoke and dander (skin flakes). Particulate diameters are measured in microns and range from .001 to 1,000 microns. These dimensions represent the continuum from a few molecules up to the size where particles can no longer be airborne.
Solution: Particulates are removed from the air by filtration. As you can see from the chart below, air filters differ in effectiveness as they can trap different size particulates. Dependable Comfort recommends April Aire air purification technologies.
2. Microbials
Problem: These are bacteria, germs, viruses, fungi, spores and mold. Although bacteria are small in size and usually microscopic, they have an amazing ability to do horrible damage to all living organisms including humans. Many everyday illnesses are also caused by viruses like the common cold or the flu.
Solution: Microbials are living organizations that must be killed. Dependable Comfort recommends RGF’s Guardian Air as it is the only proactive system that aggressively kills microbials throughout the entire home or building. More information below.
3. Gases
Problem: Indoor odors and gases, such as benzene, formaldehyde, chloroform, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, etc., are released from furniture, cabinets, carpets, cleaning chemicals, copy machines, insulation, insect sprays, hair sprays, etc.
Solution: Again, Dependable Comfort recommends the Guardian Air as it is the only proactive system that aggressively kills odors and gases. We have numerous testimonials regarding the removal of pet odors, paint odors, musty smells and general odors in homes and businesses.