Let’s face it, the atmosphere inside our homes is as dirty, if not more so than the air outside. With dust, pet dander, mould, mildew, pollen, and pet hair floating around in every room, it’s easy to understand why air quality can be so poor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that the air inside most homes can be up to 4 to 5 times worse than the air outside. Even more alarming is that many common household products emit harmful chemicals that can pollute the air in your home and cause health problems.
Your home, place of employment, and school may all have contaminated air that can lead to a number of serious health issues. To evaluate the indoor air quality of your home and determine whether the air your family breathes is healthy, you may perform VOC Testing in the San Francisco region or wherever you reside. Here are a few arguments in case they are not enough to convince you to choose an air quality test.
To Avoid Allergens
Most homeowners are unaware that the air in their homes can cause allergies. This can occur due to a variety of reasons. However, one of the major reasons for this is uncleaned air ducts. A variety of contaminants can accumulate in your home’s ducts over time, including dust, debris, pollen, pet dander, mildew, mold, bacteria, and more. Whenever you turn on the AC or heater, all the dirt and debris stuck in the vents will disperse throughout your home. Eventually, years of buildup can result in a significant reduction in indoor air quality, excessive wear and tear on HVAC units, and even the need for duct cleaning (by professionals like the ones at Dynasty Ducts– they are known to offer Marietta, GA air duct cleaning). However, when the ducts are not cleaned, the body’s immune system gets triggered by pollen, mould, and dander in the indoor air. And when the body’s defence system gets in contact with these irritants, it initiates symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, asthma, eczema, or hives.
To Get Rid of the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)
Most of us are exposed to VOCs in our everyday life. They are present in many consumer products like paints, fabric conditioners, cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives, and personal care products.
All these can settle into cracks and crevices of our homes and people’s breathing zones. Remember that repeated exposure to the VOCs can cause health problems over time, such as irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, headaches, and nausea.
To Avoid Radon
If you’ve been thinking about having a radon test done in your home, now’s the time to do it. Radon is a colourless, odourless gas that is radioactive. It naturally occurs from uranium in the soil, but it can build up in your home and your water. Due to the way we ventilate and heat our homes, this chemical element makes its way indoors through the floor. Note that inhaling this gas can cause lung cancer, and exposure to it for a long time can lead to other health problems. Therefore, Stop the spread of cancer, get your house tested for Radon.
To Avoid Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used in various products, from insulation to flooring to cement. Today, it has been outlawed in some countries, and its use is strictly regulated in many others. However, it can still be found in older homes or buildings. Roofing? Insulation? Flooring? Cement? Yup, those are all materials that can contain asbestos, and they need to be tested carefully as they can pose health risks like Mesothelioma and Asbestosis. Any place where this fibrous silicate mineral was used needs to be tested.
To avoid Mould
Many factors can affect your home’s air quality. However, one of the major sources of indoor air pollution is mold. Since homeowners are oblivious to the potential hazards these multi-cellular fungus filaments pose, they often disregard their role in indoor air pollution. It could be surprising to many people, but mold has the capacity to alter the overall air quality of the home, even if it develops in a small corner. Those concerned about their home health can carry out mold tests to keep the air quality in check. For that, they may be interested to learn how to incubate a mold test kit themselves. Having said that, mould is not the only factor that contributes to poor indoor air quality.
To Avoid Pesticides
Often referred to as pesticides, a type of chemical used for controlling and killing pests, are also one of the leading causes of indoor air pollution. These substances are made up of a group of chemicals, each used for a different purpose like exterminating microbes, fungus, and bacteria.
The air you breathe inside your home matters. Healthy air is a top priority for families everywhere, which is why indoor air quality testing is a must.