How a Home’s Ventilation Can Impact Your Indoor Air Quality

Since most American’s spend up to 90% of their time indoors, the air in their home is a significant component to their health. Indoor pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort issues when too little outdoor air enters a home. These pollutants may include mold, bacteria, tobacco smoke, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, various allergens, elevated levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and other potentially hazardous substances.
 
One approach to lowering the concentration of indoor air pollutants in a home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in. Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by infiltration, natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation.
 
With infiltration, outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints and cracks in walls, floors and ceilings, as well as around windows and doors.  Air may also move out of the house in this manner and this is known as exfiltration.
 
During natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by the wind.
 
Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from exhaust fans that remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and kitchens, to air handling systems that use fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can rise. 
 
“Having healthy air quality in your home is important to prevent health concerns such as allergies and asthma as well as other serious conditions,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “At EMSL, we offer a comprehensive range of air quality testing services for fungal, bacterial and chemical pollutants.  Our Products Division also offers particulate counters, real-time gas sensors and test kits to help ensure the air people breathe in their home is healthy.”
 
EMSL recently sponsored a video about home ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/ib662E3Dr3Q.
 
To learn more about EMSL’s IAQ testing services, sampling products and field testing equipment, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
 
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 
 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) (856) 303-2503

Contact via E-mail