Air pollution is a rising concern in New Jersey, but many homeowners mistakenly believe that the best way to avoid breathing in large amounts of unhealthy air is to stay indoors, where the air is assumed to be cleaner.

But actually, according to the EPA, indoor air can have two to five times the concentration of air pollutants compared to outdoor air. Unfortunately, that means that the more time you spend inside a home with poor indoor air quality (IAQ), the higher the risk you and your family face for health and safety issues. When it comes to improving the air you breathe at home, it is essential to understand how contaminants get into your home, and what they are.

COMMON INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS

Pollutants in your indoor air can include:

Mold
Dust and dirt
Pet dander
Volatile organic compounds (from chemicals like paint and cleaning products)
Bacteria and germs
Animal waste
Pollen

HOW INDOOR AIR GETS CONTAMINATED

You may not be able to see them, but tiny holes and gaps in the construction of your home can allow small amounts of indoor air pollutants to enter your home in a steady stream. And when added to the contaminants that enter through open windows and doors, as well as the chemicals and off-gassing particles that come from the building materials inside of your home, there are a lot of contaminants that could be floating around in your breathing air.

These contaminants are sucked into your heating and cooling system, where some (not all) of them are caught in your air filters. However, air filters are often neglected, not installed properly, or do not have the right MERV rating, so these particles are not removed and are allowed to recirculate multiple times.

When your air has high levels of contaminants, it can begin to affect your health! This can aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma, increase the number of headaches you experience at home, dry out or irritate your sinuses, and even affect your much-needed sleep. If you notice the following symptoms, they could be caused by the air in your home:

Dry itchy eyes
Post nasal drip and sinus issues
Sneezing, wheezing, or coughing
Insomnia

INDOOR AIR QUALITY SOLUTIONS

So, how can you improve indoor air quality in your home? At Bovio Rubino Service, we offer a number of services that can reduce the number of contaminants that are entering your home, and we even install filtration and ventilation equipment that will actively remove contaminants from your air. We also offer some weatherization services like air sealing that will prevent contaminants from entering your home from the outside. Browse our IAQ services, and turn to the experts at Bovio Rubino Service for indoor air quality and home health services here in South Jersey.