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According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. While the walls of our homes can help shield us from some air pollutants, infiltration occurs in every indoor space.
Unfortunately, many of the pollutants that can cause problems are odorless and undetected until symptoms such as respiratory issues, digestive issues, fatigue, and sleepiness appear.
"Health risks associated with indoor air pollution have not, in general, received adequate attention," says Dr. Junfeng Zhang, professor of global and environmental health at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. Dr. Zhang recommends diligently monitoring and working to improve the indoor air quality in our homes through regular testing and making adjustments to our daily habits.
Inspecting your home for indoor pollutants and establishing the AQI (Air Quality Index), a measurement set by the EPA to determine the risk of health problems associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution, can be done by a certified air quality consultant or a home test kit.
Key irritants that should be examined are:
If anyone in the household is experiencing respiratory distress, allergic reactions, symptoms of confusion with no specific cause, or overall deteriorating health, an indoor air quality analysis can assist an immunologist or allergist in determining the proper treatment.
As Gary Gross, M.D. of Allergy Partners in Ocean, New Jersey explains, "The allergist or immunologist most often deals with conditions affecting the places where the environment and the body come into contact. These exposures to allergens lead to inflammation of organs or tissues."
At this time, there is no single DIY test kit or monitoring system that covers every type of pollutant. However, after testing for specific irritants, there are monitoring systems that can help determine the quality of the indoor air you are breathing.
How to test indoor air qualityAs a good basic monitor for those suffering from allergies, the Ecowitt WHO290 Air x Monitor provides temperature and humidity levels and measures the amount of particulate matter in the air. It has an easy-to-read digital monitor with a color-coded air quality level indicator. The monitor runs on rechargeable batteries with a solar panel backup.
For more extensive monitoring, the Airthings Wave Plus Indoor Air Quality Monitor reads levels of radon, carbon dioxide, VOCs, humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure. It does not measure particulate matter levels. The battery-operated monitor can be placed anywhere in your home and by waving your hand in front of the device, you receive a color-coded light to indicate the air quality index level. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can connect via Bluetooth to the Airthings App or log into the Airthings dashboard for more detailed information about the quality of your indoor air.
How to test for specific pollutantsWhile some indoor air pollutants can aggravate allergies or asthma, others are deadly. We have compiled a list of indoor pollutants and suggestions on how you can test for them and reduce your exposure.
Click the links below to go directly to each pollutant, or keep reading for a comprehensive look at testing and preventing indoor pollutants, and how to improve your indoor air quality:
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