Indoor Air Quality and Your Health

Reader Contribution by Paul Scheckel
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The holiday season is the perfect time to think about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Our homes are closed up tightly against winter and full of people and pollution generating activities like cooking and cleaning. A growing body of research indicates that poor IAQ leads to physical health problems and reduction in cognitive function.

Reducing the air leakage of your home is one of the best things you can do to improve its energy efficiency. If you’ve done any weatherization to your home, the air leakage rate is probably fairly low. Even in an old drafty farmhouse, the air leakage rate is likely to be minimal unless the wind is blowing. When your guests arrive for the holidays, more people are sharing the same amount of air in the closed environment of your home. People inhale oxygen and exhale CO2. The CO2 and VOC levels in the air can quickly increase and we begin to feel the effects. Exposure symptoms range from a general feeling of weariness to headaches and dizziness. Long term exposure to certain VOCs can cause severe problems.

Measuring Indoor Air Quality

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