Have you ever considered the quality of the air you breathe? Air quality is a measure of the healthiness of the air around us. It can be affected by many things, including emissions from factories, busy roads and vehicle exhausts, aerosol chemicals in the air and many other things. Poor air can lead to several health problems, including respiratory infections, headaches and even heart disease.
Exposure to poor air quality can make you vulnerable to an increased risk of respiratory illnesses. Inadequate or poor aeration can also support the growth and dispersal of organisms such as mould. From another perspective, given that mould spreads through the release of spores, these particles then contribute to pollution. When they are inhaled by humans or pets who have already been compromised by exposure to to these and the other pollutants, the risk of significant health problems is raised.
By taking steps to improve the air in your living and working spaces, you can reduce your risk of mould growth. You can also enjoy other important benefits such as improved respiratory health. Keep reading to learn more about air quality and how to improve it.
What is air quality and why is it important?
Air quality affects our health and well-being in numerous ways. It is the air we breathe and inhale daily. Typically it consists of a mixture of gases, air pollutants, dust particles, volatile organic compounds and micro-organisms including bacteria, mould and viruses. Poor air can be detrimental to our health leading to respiratory problems, fatigue and headaches amongst other issues.
It can also cause an increase in potential dangers from mould due to higher air moisture levels. In many countries, the growth rate of asthma and allergies puts an increasingly large number of people at risk from the potential dangers posed by dampness and mould.
Ensuring air quality is assessed regularly is key for curbing the negative effects on your health and well-being. You must be proactive to gain the benefits such as reduced respiratory symptoms and improved immune systems.
What affects the quality of the air we breathe?
The quality of the air that you breathe, both indoors and outdoors, is affected by many different factors. These include the level of pollutants, such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and ozone. Particulate matter is considered one of the most harmful air pollutants.
Ventilation
Additionally, ventilation in an indoor environment affects air quality.
Poorly-ventilated spaces can cause a build-up of pollutants. These originate from sources like burning fuels, products that contain chemicals like air fresheners and cleaning products, tobacco smoke and hobby materials such as various types of glue or printing inks. Not having enough ventilation can make the air inside a building more polluted. Insufficient fresh air comes in from outside to dilute the air inside. And the polluted air from inside does not have a chance to escape outdoors. When the temperature is high and there is a lot of humidity, some pollutants can become more concentrated.
Humidity
Dampness and damp air(humidity) is another major factor in compromising the air we breathe. These wet conditions favour the growth and spread of organisms that can affect our health. This includes bacteria, fungi, dust mites and certain insects among others. Where indoor temperatures are higher this creates and ideal environment for these to multiply. Too warm air is therefore also a player when it comes to air quality. Over time it contains less oxygen, and becomes stagnant through holding onto higher levels of pollutants. This easily occurs due to inefficient indoor heating systems and habits, poor insulation, inadequate ventilation and overcrowding.
Microorganisms
Microorganisms are a crucial source of contamination in our indoor air. Hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi, particularly moulds, generate indoor growth when there is enough moisture present.
Vehicles and industry
Outdoors, air quality is affected by industrial activity and vehicular emissions. The more congested an area’s roads are the higher the emissions will be. Nevertheless, some forms of outdoor pollution are naturally occurring. For example, pollen, moulds and bacteria floating in the atmosphere or wildfires releasing high amounts of smoke into it.
Fortunately, there are ways to assess and improve indoor and outdoor air quality through proper monitoring techniques and efficient strategies such as engineering controls or environmental regulations and routines to manage indoor air.
Improving air quality can bring tremendous benefits including a healthier population due to reduced exposure to contaminants that can negatively affect their health, well-being and productivity, as well as cost savings due to fewer illnesses.
How can we assess air quality?
Assessing air quality is the first step in improving it and while it may be difficult to gauge without specialized equipment, certain warning signs can indicate a problem. Some of these include:
- An increase in physical symptoms can range from allergies and ‘cold-like’ symptoms that won’t go away, to headaches and tiredness.
- The presence of mould – is a sure indicator of raised humidity/dampness.
- Dust build-up.
- Unpleasant smells – point to poor air circulation with stagnancy. This air will be holding on to smoke, chemical and micro-organism particles.
Additionally, checking relative humidity levels in the building which should ideally remain between 30-60% can help identify moisture issues which if left unaddressed can lead to mould growth and a decrease in air quality.
Improving air quality at home and work requires immediate action to eliminate any sources of contaminants to create an optimal atmosphere.
Steps that can improve the air include:
- A routine for regular, good ventilation of living and workspaces.
- Assessment and maintenance of air-filtration equipment, including changing the air filters regularly.
- Optimising the use of exhaust fans.
- Controlling humidity through dehumidifying systems
- Open the windows when using chemicals that can hang around in the air, when smoking, and when vacuuming and dusting.
- Planting specific kinds of plants that absorb airborne pollutants, outdoors and indoors.
With increased awareness and intention, improved air quality is achievable thus promoting better health for us all.
The benefits of improved air quality
Improved air quality has an impressive range of benefits for our overall health, productivity, and mood. In addition to reducing the risk of long-term health conditions such as asthma, allergies, and respiratory diseases, fresher air can boost productivity levels and allow us to make better decisions.
Improved functioning
With increased oxygen in the air, we become more alert, energized, and in a generally higher state of mood. Furthermore, when air quality is improved the risks posed by mould-related health issues such as allergic reactions and inflammation of mucous membranes is reduced.
Better health
It is essential to take this seriously in any indoor setting, as poor air quality can have a detrimental impact on the health of those living there. This compromised air can lead to mould growth, with fungi going on to play an important role in further indoor air pollution.
Unflued gas heaters and fireplaces with poor smoke extraction and cooking equipment are especially prone to causing air pollution issues due to an increase in humidity levels and the release of toxic compounds that can create an environment favourable for mould formation.
Limit risk of further problems
However, even without major additional sources of air pollution, high levels of humidity in enclosed spaces like bathrooms are very likely to cause or contribute to mould problems.
Mould spores from damp surfaces or air aggravates asthma-type conditions and allergies, with certain types of mould even being linked to more serious health conditions. Therefore, you should not underestimate the importance of optimising indoor air quality.
The quality of the air that we breathe is very important to our health and well-being. The main factors that affect air quality indoors and outdoors are pollutants, temperature, humidity, and ventilation. We can assess the air by increasing our awareness and taking action by reducing pollution sources, increasing ventilation, and controlling temperature and humidity. The benefits of doing this include better health, productivity, and mood for you and your family. Take action today to improve air quality as far as you can in your environment – if we all do this, then we all benefit.