Is Your Home Making You Sick?

Breathing Easily Indoors is Harder Than You Think
Most people are alarmed when they see a brown cloud of smog looming above a large city. And rightly so—common sense tells us that polluted air is unsafe to breathe. When outdoor air pollution is high, we try to do our part to keep our air clean.

But what if we’re still inhaling invisible contaminants, even on the clearest of days, without even knowing it?

Biozone home air purifiers remove more smoke, dust, mold, odor, cat and dog dander, allergens and other pollutants from the indoor air and water using a special state of the art technology developed by Biozone Scientific. Doctors reveal that Biozone air purifiers can help reduce mold, mildew and allergy symptoms and make the best smoke eaters available.

Indoor Air Quality
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, levels of air pollutants inside American homes and offices can be two to five times greater than outside, even in some of our most polluted cities. With some people spending up to 90% of the day indoors, we should have an entirely new appreciation for the term “fresh air.”

Indoor air quality doesn’t have to be seen to be believed. In fact, many airborne contaminants are invisible—spores, bacteria, particulates, gases and chemicals can all contribute to short and long-term health consequences, including headache, allergies, fatigue, asthma or even cancer.

One of the common misperceptions about indoor air quality is that problems only occur with older construction, complete with lead paint and asbestos-containing insulation. New homes, however, have great potential for poor indoor air quality, primarily due to volatile organic compound (VOC) accumulation.

Many common building materials, finishing compounds and furniture products utilize chemicals that gradually and constantly release VOCs. Sealants, adhesives, caulk, painting supplies, stains, insulations, vinyl flooring, wallpaper, carpeting and engineered wood products (such as plywood, particle board, laminate and OSB) are among the major culprits when it comes to harmful VOC emissions.

Believe it or not, today’s “tight” or leak-free, energy efficient homes can actually add to the problem of poor indoor air quality. Without a consistent air exchange from inside to out, toxins, such as VOCs, are trapped inside a climate-controlled home only to accumulate at dangerous levels. Experts recommend ventilating indoor spaces at least daily, either by opening windows and doors or by mechanical means, such as a vent fan.

What Can You Do?

Whether you’re living in a new home or not, there are a number of ways to mitigate unsafe VOC accumulation in your home.

• Consider a home air purifier. The EPA recommends that you select a product with high flow capability and an effective collection and neutralization mechanism. CleanAir4Life’s BioZone 500 and 1000 use a patent-pending five-technology system to eliminate VOCs as well as microbes and particulates.
• If you haven’t yet completed construction, ask your contractor about substituting safer alternatives in place of VOC-emitting building materials.
• Install an energy efficient ventilator to guarantee a continuous supply of fresh air throughout your home.
• Ensure that all combustion appliances, stoves, bathrooms and kitchens are vented to the outside.
• Carefully read labels and understand the chemical content of products that you use in the home, including cleaning supplies, craft supplies, beauty products, pesticides, tobacco products, repellents and more. Always provide adequate ventilation and, whenever possible, use chemical products outdoors.
• Keep your boiler, HVAC or humidification systems clean and in good repair.

Copyright © 2009 CleanAir4Life.com. All rights reserved.