When you think about indoor air quality (IAQ) contaminants, what crosses your mind? Tobacco smoke, mold, viruses, pet dander, pollen, and/or fireplace soot may come to mind. Did you consider common household dust? Dust may appear to be benign, but dust can contain all of these contaminants and many more. Whether airborne or collecting on all of the surfaces in your home, dust has a tremendous impact on IAQ. Here’s what to know:
How Harmful Is Dust to Indoor Air Quality?
Think of dust as a mixture of contaminants that originate outdoors and indoors. Common contaminants found in dust are skin cells, hair, pet hair, pet dander, fabric fibers, bug parts, dust mites, bacteria, mold spores, pollen, soil particles, metals, and more. Dust samples from very old houses have even contained DDT. So, dust is as harmful as the contaminants that are in it.
Contaminants Affecting Indoor Air Quality
Contaminants affecting IAQ may be in a gaseous (e.g., radon) or solid (e.g., asbestos and visible smoke) state. For example, radon, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide are gas contaminants. Asbestos, visible smoke, biological pollutants, and pesticides are pollutants in solid form. All contaminants in solid form are capable of being found in household dust. When dust is agitated and becomes airborne, it has negative affects on IAQ and on anyone who breathes in the dust.
Dust vs. an HVAC Air Purifier
There are three ways to defend your home against dust. First, limit the ways contaminants enter your home by keeping shoes at entry doors and air sealing your home. Regularly clean surfaces in your home. Have your HVAC technicianinstall a whole-home air purifier by iWave.
The iWave air purifier cleans the air throughout the living spaces in your entire home. The iWave whole-home air purifier is installed inside your HVAC unit and doesn’t take up floor space like portable air purifiers. The iWave removes 99.4% of viruses and airborne dust in only 30 minutes, and it requires no maintenance.
Reduce the battle against dust and improve indoor air quality in your Eastern North Carolina home by contacting the pros at Jackson & Sons for information on installing the iWave air purifier.
