Reasons why you should consider indoor air quality testing

1. Reasons Why You should Consider Indoor Air-Quality Testing Indoor air pollutants are all around us, from radon and rodents to VOCs and NO2. Here are a few reasons why air-quality testing might help you breathe easier.

2. Here's a look at some of the most common indoor air pollutants, how to detect them and how to deal with them. Combustion Gases and particles from combustion are the leading sources of indoor air pollution worldwide. Household cook stoves alone kill about 4 million people every year, mostly in developing countries, but this category also includes heating stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, space heaters and tobacco smoke. The top pollutants released by combustion are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter.

3. 2. Radon Another colorless and odorless gas, radon, is the No. 2 cause of lung cancer killing about 21,000 people every year. Nearly all soil contains low levels of decaying uranium, which emits radon, although certain regions have more than others. It normally dissipates harmlessly into outdoor air, but it can also flow into buildings through gaps in the foundation, eventually reaching unsafe levels in basements and lower floors.

4. . 3. Like radon, asbestos occurs naturally in soil, posing little health risk until it gets indoors. While radon sneaks in, however, most asbestos is an invited guest that has overstayed its welcome. The heat-resistant mineral fiber has long been used as a building material and insulator, but its stock crashed in recent decades amid news that inhaling its fibers can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and long-term lung scarring.

5. 4. Volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are in countless consumer products, from paint and glue to printers and shower curtains. They have low boiling points, causing them to "off-gas" lots of vapor even at room temperature. Some VOC vapors cause short-term health issues like headaches and nausea, often grouped together as "sick building syndrome." Others pose longer-term risks, from brain damage to cancer.

6. 5. Mold and mildew Fungi are notorious indoor air polluters, seizing on warm, humid conditions to colonize and contaminate. Outbreaks often begin in basements and bathrooms, but can quickly spread with enough moisture. Health effects vary by mold type and personal sensitivity; symptoms may include nasal stuffiness, wheezing and skin irritation. Studies have also linked indoor mold exposure to asthma development in children.

7. 6. Dust, dander and droppings Mold isn't the only biological polluter of indoor air. Many buildings are plagued by dust mites and cockroaches, two very different arthropods that both leave a trail of allergenic feces and body parts. Fumes from rodent urine and droppings can also cause breathing problems, as can pet dander and airborne proteins from cat saliva. On top of that, indoor air may be invaded by pollen and bacteria from outside.

8. 7. Pesticides Even though rodents, insects and other pests are a common source of indoor air pollution, eradicating them with poisons can raise the risk of trading one problem for another. Pesticides are inherently toxic, the EPA notes, often featuring organic compounds that add to existing levels of airborne VOCs. Health effects vary depending on the chemical and dosage, but symptoms of pesticide exposure range from headaches and nausea to long-term brain damage and increased risk of cancer.