The air quality in your home or commercial building matters more than you might think. Without proper ventilation, filtration, and flow, individuals can suffer significant health issues. This is especially true for people living and working in close quarters. Still, most people don’t realize they can and should have their air quality tested. If you want to learn more, here are several reasons why indoor air quality matters. When you’re ready, call Valley Building Inspections for an indoor air quality test.
1. We Spend Most of Our Time Indoors
When you think about where you spend most of your time, you probably come to the conclusion that you’re indoors more than you are outdoors. Whether it’s at work or at home, indoor air quality matters to your health. According to the EPA, the level of indoor pollutant levels can be two to five times that of the outdoor levels. So, if you’re spending most of your time indoors, you’re breathing in all of those pollutants, which are having significant impacts on your health.
2. Poor Air Quality, Poor Productivity
Poor indoor air quality in businesses and offices often leads to more illnesses and lower productivity. When workers can’t breathe, suffer from allergies, or spread illnesses through the air, your business can struggle. With clean air, employees can complete tasks with clear heads and more energy. The cleaner the air, the more oxygen people can breathe in and the more alert and awake they’ll feel while at work.
3. Germs Spread Easily
In environments that have dirty air, germs attach to dust and mold particles in the air and spread throughout the indoor space. They can easily travel into nasal passages and airways, and settle on hard surfaces. This facilitates the transfer of illnesses like the flu, the common cold, and even COVID-19, especially in places frequently visited by a large number of people. Poor indoor air quality also causes a lower immune response, making children and the elderly especially vulnerable.
4. Long-Term Health Effects
In addition to short-term health effects, like allergies, colds, and upper respiratory issues, poor indoor air quality can also cause long-term health issues like chronic asthma, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Long-term exposure to air pollutants can also double the risk of childhood pneumonia. Indoor air pollutants can also lead to lower birth weights, tuberculosis, cataracts, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers.
Get Your Indoor Air Tested
In order to improve the indoor air quality in your home or office, you must first understand its current state. With a mold and air quality test from Valley Building Inspections, you’ll get a complete report of the VOC levels, learn about active mold present, and other causes of your poor air quality. We also conduct radon tests, sewer inspections, and termite inspections for residents and businesses throughout Phoenix, AZ. Request a quote today by calling us at (480) 860-1100.
