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Information given at the First Annual Air Quality convention sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), April, 1992, Tampa, Florida, includes these facts:
- 11 million Americans have asthma
- 28 million have hay fever and other allergies
- 20 percent of all employees have a major illness related to indoor air pollution such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, etc.
- EPA estimates an 18 percent annual production loss to American business due to poor indoor air quality
- 40 percent of all buildings pose a serious health hazard due to indoor air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.
- EPA says high levels of formaldehyde cause cancer
- Scientists now recognize that pollutants, even at acceptable concentration, combined together in an indoor environment have a synergistic negative effect
Every year at least 6,000 new chemical compounds are developed. Many are used indoors every day, at home and at work. Add to these pollutants the mold, mildew, bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, grease pollen, dirt, asbestos lead and numerous other contaminants that can affect our breathing and our health. Then allow them to circulate in today's nearly airtight indoor environment. No wonder our indoor air is, on average, two to 10 times as polluted as the worst outdoor air.
Viruses and bacteria that thrive in the ducts, coils and recesses of building ventilation systems have been proven to cause ailments ranging from influenza to tuberculosis. Some HVAC systems have been found to contain up to 27 species of fungi.
Other facts about the hazardous nature of our air include:
- Asthma cases have increased by more than 100 percent since 1976
- About one in nine children now have asthma
- Death rates due to asthma have tripled, and quintupled in children ages five to nine since 1976
- Hospitalization rates and doctor visits are still continuing to increase dramatically
- According to the American College of Allergies, 50 percent of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted air
- Today's homes and buildings are built air-tight, and contain a long list of pollution sources. As a result, nature's air-cleaning agents such as ozone and negative ions are kept out, while contaminants are kept in
- A recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200 percent higher than it is in ordinary homes
- According to Scientific America, a baby crawling on the floor inhales the equivalent of four cigarettes a day, as a result of the out gassing of carpets, molds, mildews, fungi, dust mites, etc.
- Most people spend well over 90 percent of their time indoors. In which case, indoor air is going to impact our health far more than outdoor air
- The EPA informs us that six out of 10 homes and buildings are "sick," meaning they are hazardous to your health to occupy as a result of airborne pollutants
Should You be Concerned About Indoor Air Quality?
Here are five reasons why indoor air quality could be making you sick:
- It is now widely recognized that most people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. Because most of us spend so much time inside, indoor pollution concentrations, even if they are uniformly lower than outdoor levels, make a significant contribution to our average exposure over a day, week, month, or year.
- Modern indoor environments contain a complex array of potential sources of air pollution, including synthetic building materials, consumer products and dust mites. Airborne emissions also occur because of the people, pets and plants that inhabit these spaces. Efforts to lower energy costs by reducing ventilation rates have increased the likelihood that pollutants generated indoors will accumulate.
- Monitoring studies inside buildings and vehicles have consistently found that concentrations of many indoor air pollutants tend to be higher indoors than out. Indoor air has been shown to be a complex mixture of chemical, biological and physical agents.
- Complaints about adequate indoor air quality and associated discomfort and illness are a burgeoning problem in our society. Reports of illness outbreaks among building occupants, particularly office workers, with no secondary spread of illness to others outside the building with whom affected individuals come into contact, have become commonplace. EPA classifies these reports into two general categories: building-related illnesses and sick-building syndrome.
- Exposure to many indoor air pollutants are known or suspected to occur at levels sufficient to cause illness or injury. Scientific evidence suggests that respiratory diseases, allergy, mucous membrane irritation, nervous system effects, cardiovascular effects, reproductive effects, and lung cancer may be linked to exposure to indoor air pollutants.
Some Final Facts
- Nine out of 10 heating, ventilation and air conditioning system
failures are caused by dirt and dust. (Louisiana Cooperative Extension
Service).
- Clean systems restore capacity and lessen running time, which
means you save more on monthly heating and cooling bills.
- Most store bought fiberglass filters are only 7% efficient in
stopping dirt, dust, pollen, etc. from passing through them. (American
Society of Heating, Refrigeration and A/C Experts).
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