Healthy Living Environment

The Air We Breathe

Indoor Air Pollution, also referred to as poor indoor air quality, is the term used for the build-up of harmful pollutants in the home that has a negative effect on health and wellbeing. A grown adult requires more than 10,000 litres of air every day, breathing approximately 20,000 times. We spend up to 80% of our time indoors and indoor air can be up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air, so achieving good indoor air quality is now more important than ever.

Indoor Air Pollution

There are many pollutants present in the home, generated from simple, everyday activities like cooking with gas, spraying cleaning and beauty products, and even using air fresheners. Without adequate ventilation, these pollutants remain trapped inside the home where, over time, they can have a serious impact on our health. Long-term exposure a damp environment or polluted air is linked to serious health conditions including asthma, respiratory infections, lung disease and heart disease. So what are the main pollutants found in most homes?

IAQ Insights Video

Here are some quick tips to help you improve the quality of air in your property:

• Refresh the air – getting fresh air in is key. As often as possible, open all your windows for as long as possible and let fresh air replace any CO2 buildup circulating in your home.
• Turn on your extract fans – it’s easy to forget to turn on the fan when cooking and bathing, but this will help pull nasties out of the air in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Invest in plants – house plants like aloe vera, peace lilies, corn plants, and ferns have been proven to reduce NO2 and CO2 in rooms by up to 20%.
• Invest in ventilation – mechanical ventilation with carbon filtration systems can be installed to treat the air throughout the home and control the pollutants generated. These can cost the same as an air purifier but work to clean and filter the air throughout the house, creating a safe haven for all inhabitants.