We all need pure air 24/7
Air pollution, whether chemical or biological, pervades our society and our homes, and it’s not getting much better. Because we spend 80-90% of our time indoors, especially during pandemics, breathing fresh clean air is even more vital every day of every year. It’s equally important for the elderly as well as young children, and women as much as men.
The EPA says our indoor air is more polluted than our outdoor air. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is more critical during pregnancy, illnesses, or pandemics like we’ve experienced from SARS to Coronavirus COVID-19. It can also be critical when building or remodeling a home or office where exposures to hazardous air pollutants are often higher than normal.
Everyone reacts differently
According to the EPA, airborne pollutants can create either acute allergic reactions or long-term chronic diseases. These include coughing, sneezing, nausea, headaches, abdominal pain, difficulty in breathing, asthma, genetic mutations, decrease in fertility, etc.
For certain types of people, a small amount of dust or formaldehyde may be enough to trigger strong allergic reactions. Young children, the elderly, pregnant women, or those with allergies, chemical sensitivities, respiratory or immune disorders are often far more sensitive to particles and gasses than others. If you or someone in your family has reactions to specific chemicals, you need an air purifier that will deal with those particular types of chemicals or particles.
What if I’m not sensitive or don’t have allergies, do I need an air purifier?
The answer is a firm YES. You don’t have to be sick or sensitive to need an air purifier. We are all exposed to indoor air pollution every day, but just because you are not reacting today does not mean inhaling toxic chemicals, even in small amounts, will not harm you over time. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) are always bad for your health and the cleaner your air, the longer you’ll stay healthy. Air purifiers deal with a wide range of pollutants and therefore can be advantageous in every home even if there are no special needs.
Air purifiers are one solution
There are different ways to improve indoor air quality—from purifying the air, to wearing masks, to increasing air circulation and ventilation, to encapsulating chemical emissions, to strengthening our immune systems. All of these objective and subjective approaches are useful and should be employed as needed.
We have more to share with you...
Do you want to learn more about what air purifiers are and what they can do for your family, your home, and your workplace to cultivate that fresh, pure air? Click through to read Green Building Supply's complete Introduction to Air Purifiers.
This page was written by Joel Hirshberg
