Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a term that refers to the level of pollutants and irritants in the indoor air. You might be surprised to learn this, but scientific research indicates that the air in some homes and buildings may be more polluted than the outdoor air. And since Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, poor IAQ can lead to discomfort and health problems.
While pollutants, allergens, and irritants from individual sources may not pose a significant health risk individually, most homes have more than one source of indoor air pollution. According to both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long-term exposure to these pollutants can carry serious risks.
The good news is that by understanding common pollutants and symptoms of poor indoor air quality, you can take steps to greatly reduce contaminants so that you and your family can breathe easy.
Indoor air quality can be affected by many pollutants including airborne particles/particulates you can see, and pollutants too small to be seen by the naked eye. These particles are measured in microns, a unit of measurement equal to one-millionth of a meter.
Some of the most common indoor air pollutants include:
Sensitivity to indoor air pollutants and allergens will vary from person to person. If someone in your family has allergies, asthma, or a suppressed immune system, they will likely be the first to notice a problem.
Poor IAQ can cause health symptoms and exacerbate respiratory conditions. Common symptoms that can result from poor indoor air quality including:
It’s important to note that irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat can be caused by the common cold or other respiratory illness. If these symptoms persist or resolve when you or a family member is away from home, IAQ problems may be to blame.
Long-term exposure to certain indoor air pollutants can lead to long-term health effects. For vulnerable family members, improving indoor air quality can help improve their overall health – or at least not make it worse.
Indoor air quality testing or air quality monitoring can help you get an idea of the pollutants in the air you and your family are breathing. Most devices you can buy online don’t tell the whole story. We would suggest working with an HVAC professional who can perform a comprehensive indoor air quality assessment.
Other companies specialize in IAQ testing, but they can’t supply heating, ventilating, and air conditioning solutions that target the air quality in your whole home. The exception would be the Awair® Element. The Element is a smart, all-in-one environmental sensor that homeowners can use to monitor their temperature, humidity, CO2, chemicals, and PM2.5 levels (any fine dust or particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in width or smaller).
You can integrate it with the Trane Home App. You can view your Awair Score right from the app and opt into the pre-programmed automation from Trane Home. This automation uses the Awair Score to determine when the HVAC fan should run.
While you may not have any control over indoor air quality at work or school, you can take steps to improve your home’s IAQ. Some proven solutions include:
Contact your local Trane Comfort Specialist to schedule indoor air quality testing and get data-driven recommendations for IAQ solutions tailored to your home and family.
Air filters are installed in HVAC systems to remove dust, dander, allergens, and other harmful particles from the air in your home. You can change and maintain air filters on your own.
A micron, or micrometer, is a very small unit of measure equal to one millionth of a meter. Airborne particles such as dust, smoke, dander, or bacteria are often a few microns or less and can only be captured by an indoor air cleaning system.
Particulates are very small particles such as mold spores, skin flakes, or bacteria, that are not visible to the naked eye.
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