Last week we talked about the many sources and conditions that lead to poor indoor air quality. This week, we have some solutions. There are 3 general ways to improve the quality of the air you breathe – source control, improved ventilation and air cleaners.
Source control refers to managing intrusion of bad air. Examples include throwing out old, possibly moldy carpets and smoking on the front porch instead of the living room. Ventilation helps with short-term and chronic pollution sources. It dilutes indoor pollutants and helps carry them out of the building. Air cleaners can be effective at removing particles from your air, but don’t help in advanced cases with gaseous pollutants. When buying one, look for it's ability to do two things: 1) collect pollutants (% efficiency rate ) and 2) filter air (cubic ft/min). Unless the unit is highly rated with both, it’s not likely to be as effective as you’d like. Find out more about clean indoor air from the EPA here.