When we think about common health risks, we often steer toward outdoor issues like pollution or hazardous substances. However, it’s incredibly common to have poor indoor air quality simply because you may not understand what acceptable air quality is.
While it’s frequently overlooked, indoor air quality has a remarkably significant impact on our health. Considering we spend roughly 90% of our lift indoors, it’s a topic that really needs to be discussed. Home Biotesting, one of the leaders in local commercial and residential air quality testing, can help you understand why it’s so important. Let’s get into it.
Why is Indoor Air Quality important?
Before we actually get into the various nuances of indoor air quality standards, it’s going to be important to get a better understanding of just why this is so critical. Indoor air pollutants like asbestos, mold, and even lead paint can pose severe and potentially fatal health risks. Prolonged exposure over weeks, months, and years can eventually lead to respiratory illness, allergies, and even cancer.
Defining Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
So, what is acceptable indoor air quality? In the simplest terms, indoor air is considered to be of acceptable quality when there are no known contaminants at known, harmful concentrations. It should not pose any threat to the health or comfort of the building occupants.
However, breaking down the exact indoor air quality standards can be relatively complex, and they can vary from region to region, and even from one type of building to another. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have both set specific regulations and guidelines to ensure good indoor air quality in the US.
Indicators of Poor Indoor Air Quality
One of the first and most important steps toward improvement is being able to recognize the signs of poor indoor air quality. They will often manifest as mundane health issues like headaches, fatigue, dry eyes, and even nasal congestion. However, the most serious conditions will trigger or exacerbate existing conditions like asthma and allergies.
If you feel that your indoor air quality isn’t as good as it could be, the best thing to do is contact a professional like Home Biotesting. A professional indoor air quality specialist should specialize in identifying and mitigating indoor environmental concerns and hazards, like mold, asbestos, and lead paint abatement.
The Professional’s Role in Maintaining Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
Even though finding acceptable indoor air quality is as simple as ventilating your home, it also doesn’t always work that easily. For example, areas with higher levels of outdoor pollution may be worsening indoor air quality if the windows are left open. This is also true in areas that may experience wildfires or the effects of their smoke.
That’s why using a professional is the best way. Not only will they be able to use sophisticated tools to detect pollutants and assess the overall air quality. Once the pollutants have been identified, the professionals can build an effective plan to improve the air quality and maintain it is critical. The experts at Home Biotesting can help guide you through the process and ensure that the air quality in your home or business is aligned with your health and comfort goals.
Partner With Home Biotesting For Air Quality Testing & Improvement
Understanding what is acceptable indoor air quality is crucial for maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Professional assistance can help make sure that your indoor air quality meets or even exceeds the appropriate standards and metrics. If you’re ready to breathe a little easier, reach out to Home Biotesting today to get started.