Indoor air pollution has the potential to wreak havoc on your life, the lives of your loved ones, your co-workers and even your pets. It can cause sickness, prompt a resurgence of your allergies and contaminate your nasal passages, lungs and other sensitive body sites. Too many people make the mistake of considering the outdoor air to be full of contaminants when the real culprit is often the air inside of apartments, houses, offices and retail establishments.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend a whopping 90 percent of their time in indoor environments. That is an awful lot of time to subject oneself to nasty indoor air pollution. Let’s take a look at the top indicators of indoor air pollution that everyone should be aware of.
Indoor air Pollution: The Appearance of Mold
If you spot any indication of visible mold within your home or place of employment, reach out for help immediately. Clearly visible mold is a sign that there is a very nasty overarching problem within the building that must be tended to right away. Those who fail to act after spotting mold will risk enduring a possibly debilitating illness or worse.
Unfortunately, it is often difficult to spot mold as it tends to grow in moist settings that are quite dark. However, it is possible to shine a flashlight on these spaces for the purposes of an inspection. In other instances, mold will make its way into easily visible areas. You will be able to detect it by its black or green hues that usually create rounded spots along all sorts of indoor surfaces.
Indoor air Pollution: A Foul Smell
If the air in your place of employment or home has an odor that lasts a long time, the air is likely polluted. Stenches that can’t be easily eliminated often occur due to mold that exists within the building’s walls. Mold in these spaces is a major problem as it can impact more than just your senses. It can also negatively impact your health. Even if you notice a stuffy odor that is not necessarily a stench, it is a sign that the air quality inside of the building is poor.
Do not let yourself and your family get used to such an unpleasant odor. Any smell that lasts more than a few days is cause for concern. Take care of such odors right away so they don’t spiral out of control and make everyone within the building sick. Bring in an expert and he might identify mold as the culprit for the musty odor.
Certain harmful chemicals also have a rather nasty scent. In other instances, odors represent clues that the building lacks sufficient ventilation. Odors that linger for hours, days or longer might be present simply because of the fact that the air carrying the foul smell lacks a means of exiting the building.
Indoor air Pollution: Humidity
If your home or office air is extraordinarily humid, it can prompt the growth of mold. Ideally, indoor environments should have a humidity level of 25 to 50 percent. Any indoor environment that is noticeably humid should be thoroughly inspected for mildew, mold and other threats. Moisture levels can be continuously monitored throughout the year with a hygrometer.
Conclusion
Do not let indoor air pollution ruin your health. Reach out to an expert to improve your home or office’s air quality. Once the mold, chemicals or blocked passageways are identified and remedied, you will be able to return to the type of healthy and peaceful living/working space that every human being deserves.