December 12th, 2017
The quality of the indoor environment depends largely on “what's in the air.” The presence of airborne pollutants can cause health problems for the home’s occupants. It is important to realize that the most effective, and usually least costly, methods to limit indoor pollutants are: Source control: Find out where the pollutants come from, what they consist of, and reduce or eliminate these sources. This task can involve actions such as controlling moisture, reducing mold growth, choosing “low emission” furnishings and coatings, and/or reducing dustproducing activities indoors. Ventilation: Homes need to have a sufficient amount of outdoor air to dilute and remove pollutants and moisture that are produced indoors, and to supply combustion devices (and occupants) with oxygen. The amount of fresh air that is brought in is limited by the cost of heating or cooling the outside air. If air quality is still a problem after attending to source control and ventilation, especially with respect to dust, an air cleaner may be of help. In terms of health effects, dust particle size is of great importance. Particles smaller than about 10 microns in diameter are the most problematic from a health standpoint, so it is most important for an air cleaner to remove these. It is important to note that there is little research evidence that directly links the use of air cleaners to improved health.