Indoor air quality can have a significant impact on comfort levels in both residential and commercial settings.
Understanding what indoor air quality is as well as the factors that determine the quality of indoor air is essential in preventing the negative effects of poor-quality indoor air. This article provides a brief overview of a few things you need to know about indoor air quality.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Put in the simplest of terms, indoor air quality refers to the state of purity of the air you inhale when in indoor environments. It can be defined as a measure of the quantity of toxic substances or pollutants presently in the air you breathe whenever you're indoors.
The quality of indoor air you are constantly exposed to should be a major concern because of the adverse effects that poor air quality can have on human health.
What Determines the Quality of Indoor Air?
The quality of indoor air that you breathe is determined by a number of factors ranging from the location of your home or office to your lifestyle habits.
If you live or work in the countryside, you are more likely to enjoy better indoor air quality than someone who lives in an urban centre. This is because there is less air pollution in the countryside and thus less exposure to elements, such as vehicular smoke, which are known to affect the quality of indoor air.
Similarly, if you are a smoker who regularly smokes in the house, you're more likely to have worse air quality in your apartment than a smoker who makes it a point to smoke outside the house. This is because cigarette smoke releases harmful chemical substances into your indoor air, thereby compromising its quality.
What Are the Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Continued exposure to poor-quality air has been known to have a wide range of effects, some of which are long-term while others are short-term. The short-term effects include allergic reactions that are observed soon after being exposed to poor-quality indoor air. Examples of these reactions include irritated skin, itchy or watery eyes and seemingly unstoppable bouts of sneezing.
Long-term effects of exposure to poor-quality indoor air include the development of respiratory problems such as asthma.
For more detailed information about indoor air quality and how it affects you, make a date with an air quality consulting service in your area.
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