Because of the need for comfort during extreme weather, a typical Minnesota home has a furnace to heat the house during winter, and an air conditioner to cool it down in the summer. However, having these heating and cooling units won’t be enough to ensure you have clean air that flows throughout your home.
This is especially true today that more and more homes are designed to become energy-efficient. Newer homes are sealed as tight as possible, leaving no space for contaminated indoor air to depart.
Your indoor air can be potentially unhealthy, filled with toxic compounds and allergens. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air is about 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. If you have children or elderly people who spend most of their time indoors, they are at a higher risk of developing illnesses brought about by polluted indoor air.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning is a trusted HVAC company in Roseville, MN that can help you improve the overall quality of your indoor air.
Overview
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air quality refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants.
The quality of air in your home has a direct impact on your family’s overall health and comfort. The National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) estimates that 95-98 percent of indoor air is made up of particles smaller than one micron. These particles include smoke, viruses, bacteria, and dust that can damage the lungs.
Factors that Affect Indoor Air Quality
Your home’s indoor air quality not only affects your comfort but also your health. A number of factors have an effect on indoor air quality such as improper ventilation, high or low humidity, inconsistent temperature, and remodeling works.
Top Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
Secondhand Smoke
The main source of indoor air pollution in developed countries like the United States is cigarette or cigar smoke, which contains over 4,000 chemicals, most of which are carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals.
Radon
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. It is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and comes from the natural breakdown (radioactive decay) of uranium. It is a colorless, chemically inactive gas. Because it is a single atom gas, it easily penetrates many common materials such as paper, leather, plastic bags, paints, building materials such as gypsum board, concrete blocks, wood panels, and insulation.
Personal Care Products
There are 25 different personal care products examined by scientists that have been found to create a variety of potentially harmful chemical byproducts. These products include soaps, shampoos, lotions, detergents, hand sanitizers and deodorants. In general, any household item that has strong fragrance is a contributor of different volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality on Your Health
Small particulate matter and other contaminants in indoor air inflame the air passages and lungs, impairing immune response and lowering the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Almost 25 percent of all premature deaths due to stroke are associated with chronic exposure to household air pollution.
Poor indoor air quality can also have more serious health effects such as cancer, especially if you are repeatedly exposed to contaminants such as asbestos and radon. Such cases do not show immediate symptoms but frequent exposure to one or more pollutants can be dangerous to your health.About 17 percent of annual premature lung cancer deaths in adults can be linked to exposure to carcinogens from indoor air pollution caused by cooking with solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and coal.
How Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning Can Help
Having an awareness of your indoor air quality is a good start in ensuring you and your family are safe from developing diseases associated with polluted indoor air. Here at Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning, we understand that your family’s safety is of utmost importance.
For this reason, we have partnered with some of the world’s best manufacturers of indoor air quality products to offer you solutions for your home comfort. We provide complete air purification systems that can help filter the air throughout your home, ensuring you breathe nothing but clean air.
If you need help on improving your indoor air quality, give us a call. We are your reliable Fridley heating and air conditioning company serving you for over forty years.