How To Improve Air Quality In Your Home

As scientists uncover more evidence of the environmental and health effects of indoor air pollutants, builders and homeowners are taking ever more precautions to identify the source of these pollutants and limit their impacts. But just as indoor air quality becomes more of a concern, it is also becoming easier to control.

Indoor air pollutants are composed primarily of airborne mold particles and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which originate in many manmade chemicals, such as paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, and building materials like carpets and furnishings.

Both airborne mold and VOCs have been linked to health complications such as headaches, respiratory problems, skin irritation, allergies, and asthma.

The statistics on indoor air quality are worrying, to say the least. According to the EPA, Americans spend more than 90% of their time inside. And it’s inside, recent studies report, that indoor pollutants can be concentrated at levels up to 100 times those found outdoors.

And indoor air quality is not just a human health issue: it’s an environmental issue as well. The same building products and household chemicals responsible for releasing harmful VOCs into the air can pose a significant threat to wildlife after they are discarded, and can leech toxic runoff into groundwater. Fortunately the sources of these pollutants are now well known, and alternative products are readily available and usually comparable in price.

Dealing With Mold

Mold can form on any surface that provides a food source, along with sufficient oxygen and moisture. In the case of most buildings today, that means many wood- and paper-based substances like untreated paper-faced gypsum board, wood wall studs, and wood-based sheathings. Once exposed to water from precipitation, indoor plumbing, or even humid air, mold will thrive and spread on these surfaces. Often the presence of mold may not be identifiable by smell until it has spread completely through a home.

The primary way to ensure that mold doesn’t form on the inside of a building’s walls is to reduce the opportunities for moisture to enter the wall cavities. There are a number of ways to do this. First, fiberglass insulation should be used in the place of insulation made from natural materials. Fiberglass insulation repels moisture and is resistant to mold and microbial growth.

Second, traditional gypsum board should be replaced with either paper-faced gypsum board treated with bio-inhibitors, or paperless fiberglass gypsum board, both of which prevent mold growth.

Lastly, homeowners can opt for a smart vapor retarder system. This works by capturing moisture on its surface in drier periods, and then allowing its pores to expand to allow moisture to completely pass through wall systems in humid conditions.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

The other major component of indoor air pollution is the volatile organic compound. VOCs can be emitted from solids or liquids and have the potential to cause serious short- and long-term health defects.

For years, homebuilders have unknowingly used construction materials––paints, carpeting, adhesives, plywood, and PVC piping––that contain highly toxic chemicals. In recent years, most manufacturers have become cognizant of the dangers of VOC-emitting substances and have severely limited their use. An increasing numbfer of manufacturers are now creating products that have been specifically developed to have zero or extremely low levels of of VOCs.

Controlling the emission of VOCs in the home is one of the easiest ways to improve indoor air quality, as it can usually be achieved simply by checking the labels on household products like cleaning supplies, pesticides, and building materials and finishes.

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, an organization committed to measuring the impacts of many household products on indoor air quality, has identified an assortment of products that have passed their strict VOC emissions standards. Many of these products bare the GREENGUARD certification seal on their labels, but the complete list of indoor air-friendly products can be found on their website.

Don’t Lock The Bad Stuff In

It’s important to remember that the same techniques used by environmentally-conscious builders and homeowners to reduce energy use by creating an airtight building envelope can actually exacerbate the threat of indoor air pollution by effectively trapping water vapor and pollutants in the home.

The best way to manage this threat is to maintain sufficient building ventilation and to reduce opportunities for moisture to enter the building through ducts, window and door frames, roofs, and fireplaces by using foam insulation, caulking, and weatherstripping. When a home is sufficiently airtight, moisture-free, and nontoxic, its inhabitants will surely breathe easier, and so will the environment.