While many people don’t think much about it, the indoor air quality in your home can have a significant effect on the health of those in the home. With high levels of contaminants, residents may experience a higher rate of airway irritation, chronic illness, and more.
We’re going to talk about indoor air quality, why it’s important to test it periodically, and what exactly is included in the term. We’ll also talk about how you can test indoor air quality, and what to do if you find that your home has elevated levels of contaminants or hazards.
Why Test Indoor Air Quality?
Testing indoor air quality is important for homes, as well as for local businesses because it can help identify potential health hazards. When residents and property owners know about potential hazards and contaminants, they have the opportunity to remedy those hazards and improve indoor air quality. Poor indoor air quality can lead to respiratory problems, increased allergic severity and reaction frequency, and many more health issues.
The primary categories of substances that are tested for during indoor air quality tests are:
- Harmful substances and potential hazards or contaminants, such as mold, asbestos, and lead dust.
- Allergens, such as dander from pets or other animals, as well as pollen and seasonal allergens.
- Volatile organic compounds, more commonly known as VOCs, are in many different materials and coatings used in construction and maintenance. These substances frequently irritate the nose, eyes, and airway, as well as headaches and nausea.
How To Test Indoor Air Quality
There are several ways to test the indoor air quality of a particular location. There are DIY methods, home test kits available on the consumer market, and professional testing methods employed by experts.
Home Test Kits
Home air quality test kits are one of the most popular ways to test indoor air quality at home, but they are also highly prone to contamination. Additionally, they are not collected by professionals, so the circumstances under which the results are obtained can be somewhat questionable. Cooking or HVAC equipment can disturb the tests and results, as can simply opening a door or window in the home for a few moments while the test is underway.
Professional Air Quality Testing
Professional air quality testing is the best way to ensure you have accurate results, testing that is performed to industry standards, and results that are lab-confirmed and put into an easy-to-understand format. A professional air quality tester will often include a very thorough inspection of the home, with samples being taken from many different areas, and inspection results incorporated into the interpretation of the results. The results will be presented in an easy-to-understand report by your testing professional, who will also be able to answer any questions you may have about how to proceed.
DIY Methods
Probably the cheapest, and least reliable ways for people researching how to test indoor air quality, are the DIY methods. These include getting air testing equipment from various sources and operating it yourself, but they all fall short of comprehensive professional testing. A common result is that even if valid results are obtained, it can be challenging to interpret them accurately without professional help.
Home Biotesting Can Help You Understand Your Indoor Air Quality
If you’ve never had your home’s indoor air quality tested, Home Biotesting can help. We can come to your location, and perform comprehensive household air quality testing so you know exactly where you stand. We can also recommend ways to improve air quality in your home if needed. Reach out to Home Biotesting today for more information, or to get started.