Do You Have Unwanted Chemicals And Visitors In Your Home?

Do You Have Unwanted Chemicals And Visitors In Your Home?

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Believe it or not, there are up to 900 chemicals in indoor air. Not only this, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is found to be up to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air. This is partly due to pollutants called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are airborne contaminants which have been released inside the home. And, if that wasn’t enough, you’re probably sharing your bed with millions of house dust mites, in addition to inhaling their droppings every day!

Sadly, these microscopic visitors cannot be completely diminished. However, good ventilation can significantly reduce the concentration of VOCs and allergens, including the common house dust mite and their droppings. But how do they actually affect us? Surely if they’re invisible we can just leave them? The answer: definitely not.

In actual fact, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) can cause tiredness, headaches, allergic reactions, respiratory problems and other illnesses. They are found within consumer products including household cleaning products and aerosols. They also linger within the fabric of the building such as in adhesives, solvents and treatments. If you’ve just purchased some nice new furniture, you may not be aware that the pollutant released by your recent purchases (called formaldehyde) is one of the more harmful VOCs, which can make people feel irritated and uncomfortable. You’ll be pleased to know that with good ventilation VOCs can be reduced. From bathroom or kitchen extract fans (which remove contaminants directly from the room) to whole house mechanical ventilation systems such as positive input ventilation (PIV) or heat recovery that bring fresh air into the home.

In terms of the dreaded house dust mite, these unwanted additions to the home can play a major part in aggravating the symptoms of asthma and allergy sufferers. They have also been attributed to many bronchial and skin problems. House dust mites feed on the microscopes scales of skin, which we all shed and thrive in humid areas. The higher the humidity, the quicker they are able to breed. So how do we get rid of these unwanted visitors? Although they cannot be totally eliminated, the quickest and most effective way of reducing the population of house dust mites is by reducing the relative humidity in your home. PIV is an innovative system designed to filter fresh air throughout a property at a continuous rate and is exceptionally easy to install.