Why it Pays to Test Your Indoor Air Quality
Poor Indoor Air Quality Testing most certainly is vital, since many of us reside in spaces with bad indoor air quality either without realizing it or simply living with it. It’s often commonplace to just assume that the air we breathe inside is fine and pure. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. It is a sad fact that many people don’t understand the importance of indoor air quality testing and what the result of poor indoor air quality can do to our health.
The health risks associated with poor indoor air quality testing are numerous, ranging from those directly associated with being exposed to irritating airborne particles like dust and mold to the indirect effects of breathing such pollutants in. Many people don’t realize that the majority of household dust comes from office building or car production facilities that release contaminants into the air that enter your home. Those who suffer from allergic reactions are at risk from exposure to these same pollutants. Allergic reactions can include wheezing, coughing, sneezing and even more serious health consequences as with the possibility of cancer. The list goes on but the bottom line is that any indoor air quality testing performed should be performed by professionals.
The majority of indoor air quality testing done today is done on an office or laboratory setup where industrial emissions are captured and analyzed. However, today indoor air quality testing is being done on a much larger scale in homes. This is due to the increased awareness of both the dangers and the benefits of improved indoor air quality. People today want to be able to recognize harmful indoor air pollutants and take the necessary steps to protect themselves from them.
Some common problems that result from exposure to indoor air quality testing ranges from irritation and allergy symptoms to serious health risks. One such problem is mold. Mold allergies can be extremely severe in some cases, causing not only skin irritation but also serious breathing problems and even life threatening lung damage. Exposure to certain mold spores can actually trigger asthma attacks, which can be life threatening.
Another problem seen with indoor air quality testing done on homes is outdoor air quality. When outdoors, people tend to breathe in natural, clean air. But when indoor air pollution is present, people often suffer from respiratory and sinus discomfort. This includes dry eyes, nose, throat and mouth irritation, congestion, and more. Outdoor air pollution often includes particles from grass and vegetation that settle on surfaces, and those particles contain large amounts of bacteria and other pollutants that can irritate the nasal passage, cause eye and throat irritation, and worsen congestion. This can lead to more people suffering from chronic respiratory symptoms, such as bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and more.
To understand how mold testing can help you prevent this kind of problem from developing in your home, it’s important to look at how indoor air quality testing works. When you do the test, you check for the presence of various pollutants that can potentially harm you or your family. Indoor air quality testing kits are available for purchase, and they come with detailed instructions for performing the test. Once the kit is used, an odorless and colorless light is emitted to detect the presence of various contaminants. The tester then measures the amount of the contaminants present in the air.
Most contaminants detected by indoor air quality testing kits are volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), which are often produced by a variety of sources, including manufacturing plants, power plants, and vehicle exhaust. Other common VOCs include nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and chlorine. It’s important to note that not all contaminants present in indoor air quality testing kits are toxic. In order to be sure, the device should be run multiple times, and the number of samples taken should be larger than the number of samples taken.
You may be wondering why VOCs are particularly important to consider when thinking about preventing health problems. One reason is that these particular chemicals have been found to be carcinogenic. If you’ve ever noticed a cloud of smoke billowing from a chimney or stove, then you’ve probably seen what VOCs are capable of doing to your lungs. Not only that, VOCs are also known to irritate the skin and eyes, and they can cause symptoms like headaches and nausea. Even though you’re probably not going to become ill from the pollutants in your home, inhaling them can aggravate other health problems. If you think that you have VOCs present in your home, it’s a good idea to set up an indoor air quality testing kit in order to find out what levels of these pollutants are actually present inside your home.
