Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Health

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Health Of all the things that people take for granted, air would probably take the first prize. Despite the fact that without air, the life on the Earth would be impossible, the attitude towards air has been rather careless for considerably long time, which has led to a number of problems concerning air ecology in the present-day world. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the issues on the agenda is the quality of indoor air, the factors that influence it and the means to improve the indoor air quality, or IAQ. Because of a range of negative factors, both human-induced and natural, the average index of indoor air quality is rapidly decreasing, which can lead to a number of health issues and, therefore, requires certain actions. Although a home accommodation is not typically used as storage of toxic waste, there are still a lot of indoor factors that ma ke the IAQ worse. Among the most common pollutants, the ones that seem the most innocent or appear to be the least noticeable often take the first place. Outlining the key pollutants will bring one a step closer to understanding how to increase the IAQ. The first pollutant to mention is animal hair. Cluttering the room, it creates perfect environment for more dust and bacteria. Dust mites, which have already been mentioned, serve as the place for bacteria growth and are also classified as pollutants. Weirdly enough, food comes in a close second, mostly because its particles also clutter the area. Another source of air pollution at home, chemicals have a rather deplorable result on the state of the IAQ. While chemicals help cleaning the place, in a paradoxical way, they are also classified as strong allergens and, therefore, harm the indoor air considerably. However, banning chemicals from use as a means to clean home accommodation is not a way out either; according to the existing evidence, the pollen in carpets and upholstery that appear as a result of insufficient cleaning is also classified as an allergen and a factor that enhances IAQ deteriorate. Likewise, tobacco, or even second-hand smoke, contributes to making the IAQ even worse, since the particles of tobacco soar in the air, cluttering the lungs of the dwellers. Damp basements, in their turn, spur the growth of mould and can be related to as rather hazardous phenomenon. Finally, such issues as CO and CO2 production, as well as radon radiation that are emitted from some of the materials that buildings are constructed from, should be mentioned. Even though the hair-rising list of threats offered above is a fraction of the harsh reality, there are still some ways to handle the problem. First of all, the ecology of the environment must be improved; once the air is polluted outside, there is no way to make it cleaner inside the house. Then, certain methods of more efficient house cleaning must be adopte d. Finally, it is necessary to enhance the awareness about the home accommodation ecology among people (Plushke 242).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Summary Unlike outdoor air quality, which is usually influenced largely by industries, large-scale air pollutants like plants and factories, and toxic waste, indoor air quality depends to a considerable extent on the attitude of the person who owns the apartment. Therefore, the awareness concerning the urban ecology and especially the ecology of home accommodations must be enhanced. Meanwhile, the environmental issues must also be considered when improving the IAQ. To be more exact, more trees, which produce oxygen, must be grown so that people could enjoy high IAQ. Plushke, Peter. Indoor Air Pollution. Vol. 4. New York, NY: Springer, 2004. Print.