Health and clean air, why is ventilation indoors so important?

When many people travel to polluted air cities in Asia or Africa, one of the first problems they notice is an irritating cough in the throat and also coughing. It is normal, health and clean air is a very necessary binomial, and without breathing well we cannot say that we are taking care of ourselves. But, do we really think that by living in places with lower pollution we are totally favoring our lung health? To a large extent yes, but to take care of our body and not get sick we must take into account the importance of indoor air quality.

We cannot ignore that, outdoors, the level of pollution is high, especially in some large cities. One of the most important pollution sources is private transport, but buildings are those that emit the most into the atmosphere. And indoors, although too many people do not consider it a risk to take into account, air health directly influences us.

Buildings store air in an unnatural way, since without a mechanical ventilation system the usual thing is that the air gets trapped between the walls. What happens in these cases? An increase in dirt in the air we breathe for numerous causes. Dust accumulated on shelves or behind furniture, fumes released during cooking, emissions from spray colognes or insecticides, and obviously, our own human activity. All of this creates a harmful breeding ground for our lungs and for our health in general.

If we do not take effective measures for it, the indoor air that we can have in our homes could become even more harmful than the air we breathe outdoors. Even in very busy avenues. The disastrous consequences of being unaware of how the relationship between health and air quality indoors works is something we must avoid happening in our homes.

What is the composition of the indoor air we breathe?

The air we breathe is not only composed of air. In reality, there are many invisible compounds that we breathe daily. The molecules are really small and often there are particles mixed with the composition of air, which is predominantly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). Following these two major components is carbon dioxide, at a residual percentage up to 6%. CO2 is necessary for life, but always within certain minimum and maximum values. Noble gases and water vapor are also found in the air.

What pollutes the air and can be harmful to health? Volatile organic compounds and particles. In addition, of course, the excess of water vapor.

Volatile organic compounds can irritate our eyes and respiratory system. They cause headaches and also fatigue, as well as poor-quality sleep. They can affect the immune system, kidneys, liver, or brain. They may even increase the chances of cancer occurring.

All of this can originate simply from not taking care of the air we breathe indoors. Especially if it becomes stale air. Because most volatile organic compounds are found indoors and not outside our homes. They are mainly created due to cleaning products, which release formaldehyde and ammonia into the air. Although buildings themselves can produce these pollutants, due to paints, products with glue, or the simple deterioration of building materials. Hence comes the terminology of sick building.

Particles, on the other hand, usually appear largely from nature. Pollen is one of the most common, but even humans emit particles. Most of them, however, are harmless and are found in the air without any problems. When can they be problematic? When they are 2.5 micrometers or smaller, as then our body is unable to stop their entry.

The problem with these particles lies in humans and not in nature, like almost everything related to health and air quality indoor. The most common are those we produce when burning something: cooking oil, wood, or charcoal are compounds that, in combustion, can emit many particles of tiny size that can be harmful. The smoke that comes from car exhaust pipes is much more dangerous due to the micro-particles it emits, which is why one must be very careful with this in home garages.

Particles can come from outdoors or indoors, especially due to cooking activity. Even in apparently harmless cooking, harmful particles can be released, while candles, stoves, chimneys, and other combustion systems can generate many more. Of course, tobacco is another strong emitter of polluting particles.

How to achieve health and air quality

Normally, when there is an excess of contaminated air in a home and it is noticeable in the smell, the normal thing is to open windows to ventilate the room. And it may seem that with this, particles that can contaminate our air are eliminated. Unfortunately, this is not the only dangerous situation for health, as in most cases where we breathe poor quality air we do not notice it.

That is why, to ensure a good relationship between health and air quality, the best option is to have a mechanical ventilation system, whose obligation for new buildings will be implemented with the Nearly Zero Energy Building, starting in 2020, in all homes.

The implementation of a double flow mechanical ventilation system is undoubtedly the best solution, as it is capable of automating air renewal, constantly preventing pollutant particles, humidity, or pollution that may be generated in the home:

• Double flow ventilation incorporates sensors that measure air quality and act to ventilate in the most adequate way, at all times and without needing to open windows.
• Stale or dirty air is extracted in the necessary proportion until particles and other contaminants have completely disappeared.
• Through a different duct, clean air is introduced, which comes from outside. To improve health and the quality of air, the air collected from outside is filtered to remove all contaminating particles coming from outside.
• Humidity ceases to be a problem in the home, to the point that the windows never fog up again.
• Temperatures are much more pleasant, both in summer and winter, thanks to the double flow system and its bypass, capable of heating the cold air that is introduced in the colder months, and vice versa in the warm months.

Thanks to it, with mechanical ventilation we improve our health and also the well-being of our loved ones in the home or workplace. We sleep better and notice the beneficial effects of enjoying health and quality air as we are able to concentrate better and avoid irritability caused by pollution in our lungs.

Ventilating a space is not just opening windows. While that is valid to eliminate part of the low-quality air that may have been stored in a space, today we are clear that the source of contamination or all the air pollutants are not eliminated just by opening windows for a while. Moreover, it does not free us from introducing air with particles and pollution from outside.

However, what can we do if we do not have a ventilation system in our homes? First of all, to have good behavioral habits and to know what can make a difference in cleaning the air of our homes or at least not contaminating it.

• When using cleaning products, windows should always be open. Above all, before starting to use them, and then let in outside air for at least half an hour. Even if the bad smell has already gone.
• The same can apply to the kitchen; windows must be open before starting to cook and for 30 minutes after turning off the flames. In this case, it is also essential to have a smoke extractor and use it at maximum power when we release smoke.
• Dust is one of the great enemies of the health and air quality binomial. It is easy, very easy, for dust to sneak into the house, especially if dirt from the outdoors comes through the windows. So we must be extremely careful and remove dust from places where it isn’t visible. Behind the television, in the attics and cabinets, under the sofa, and in those places where we normally do not look. Do you have a carpet? Then the problem is greater. You don’t have to clean it every week, but at least a couple of times a month it is advisable to take it outside and remove the dust it has stored.
• Candles and air fresheners should be reserved for indicated moments. In the first case, special celebrations, and in the second, only in cases of excess bad odors. If you use refreshers, make sure they are natural.
• Do not use combustion stoves. And keep in mind that air conditioning and heating do not eliminate low-quality air; for that, a ventilation system is necessary.

Betting on health and air quality is making an effort to improve our lives and those of our family members. So do not forget to keep all these recommendations in mind and start breathing much better.