Create a Healthy Living Environment



Air Pollution

The quality of the indoor environment depends largely on "what's in the air." The presence of airborne pollutants can cause health problems for the home and office occupants. It is important to realize that the most effective, and usually least costly, methods to limit indoor pollutants are. US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) report indicate that indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor.

Source control

Find out where the pollutants come from, what they consist of, and reduce or eliminate these sources. This task can involve actions such as controlling moisture, reducing mold growth, choosing "low emission" furnishings and coatings, and/or reducing dust, moisture or smoke producing activities indoors.
Ventilation

Home, offices or any enclosed area need to have a sufficient amount of outdoor air to dilute and remove pollutants and moisture that are produced indoors, and to supply combustion devices (and occupants) with oxygen. The amount of fresh air that is brought in is limited by the cost of heating or cooling the outside air.
If air quality is still a problem after attending to source control and ventilation, especially with respect to dust, smoke, mold and bacteria, an air cleaner may be of help. In terms of health effects, dust particle size is of great importance. Particles smaller than about 10 microns in diameter are the most problematic from a health standpoint, so it is most important for an air cleaner to remove these.

About Air Cleaner Performance

The buyer may be confronted with a variety of manufacturers’ claims about the performance and "efficiency" of various units. Several different performance standards exist, relating to different jobs that different filters are supposed to do. Some of this information may mislead buyers seeking the control of fine particulates. For example, a good performance on an efficiency test that measures the capture of large particles does not mean that small particles will be controlled.
For instance, furnace filters are rated according to the ASHRAE 52.1-76 standard, which can show a high "efficiency" at capturing dirt, but which has no relevancy to fine particles. A revised standard, ASHRAE 52.2, seeks to remedy this.