PART SIX:IMPROVING AIR QUALITY IN THE HOME
Indoor air pollutants are on the up, so Oliver Heath explores what we can do to improve the air that we breathe inside our homes
Air pollution exposure is currently the leading environmental health threat within the UK1, with the World Health Organisation stating that household air pollutants can lead to a range of diseases – from lung cancer to heart disease 2. And with indoor air pollutants reaching two to five times higher than outdoor levels 33it’s clearly an issue we need to tackle carefully – particularly when so many pollutants are unapparent through sight or smell and can often be extremely difficult to spot.
Poor indoor air quality is brought about by five key sources:
● External air quality — caused by traffic, industry, radon etc.
● Combustion of gases or materials such as heating systems,candles, or logs.
● Moisture build-up, and poor ventilation leading to damp and mould.
● Toxic chemicals in finishes, materials, furniture and cleaning products.
● Natural pollutants such as dust, dead skin, pet hair and particulates.
While this information is sobering as it’s clearly difficult to avoid air contaminants, there are proactive measures we can take to ensure we limit the adverse effects of poor air quality in the home.
CONSIDER VENTILATION
Alongside the emphasis on the ways in which we seal up our homes to draughtproof and create airtightness, we also need to consider the ways in which we ventilate them properly.
There are two types of ventilation you should be aware of: mechanical — driven by machine (usually a fan) and natural — driven by external air flow through the openings in our homes. Ventilation is particularly important in any space where water and steam may be present. While it can seem effective in terms of both cost and space availability to locate bathrooms and kitchens in windowless spaces, it’s important to employ both mechanical and natural ventilation (if possible) to avoid build-ups of damp and mould.
SAFE SURFACES
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Natural ventilation doesn’t necessarily mean opening all your doors and windows, and more discreet interventions such as trickle vents – which sit at the top or side of windows – can allow for natural airflow throughout the day without posing a security risk to your property. However, they can reduce t
