Episode 4: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Considering that we spend 90% of our time indoors, the quality of that air matters! On this episode, we explore what contributes to indoor air pollution, how it affects your health, and what you can do about it.

Transcript

Hey everyone and welcome back! This is Inhale, Exhale, an air quality podcast hosted by me, Ms. Carmen. I’m a science educator here in Brooklyn, NY where the temperature at the time of recording is 56 degrees and our current AQI is 31.

So…You wake up in the morning, maybe feeling a little groggy. Maybe your nose is stuffy, your throat feels dry, and you’ve got a lingering low-key  headache. You feel off. You’re thinking—maybe it’s allergies, or you didn’t sleep well, or maybe you’re cooking up a cold. But what if the real culprit is something else?

Believe it or not, the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. In some cases, it’s even worse than that. In this episode, we’re diving into indoor air quality or IAQ—what it is, what affects it, and what you can do about it.


When we talk about air quality, most people automatically think about outside air and outdoor pollution—so, smog, traffic, wildfire smoke are the usual things that come to mind. But indoor air quality, or IAQ, refers to the air inside homes, schools, offices, the bus or subway… any enclosed space that people spend time in. Most of us easily spend 90% of our time indoors. Think about that. You go from inside your home, to inside whatever mode of transport gets you to school or work, which then means you’re indoors someplace else for several hours before turning back around to be back inside at home. That’s the majority of our day spent indoors, so the quality of that air really matters. If that indoor air isn’t doing too well, it can lead to health problems.

Spending time indoors where the air quality isn’t doing so great can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, headaches and/or fatigue. It can worsen allergies or asthma symptoms, and there can be long-term health effects, like heart disease or cognitive decline

So what exactly is in the air we breathe indoors that can cause all this?

Some sources of indoor air pollution are obvious, while others might surprise you. Let’s start with the obvious:

- Cigarette smoke we already know is a major source of toxins, but did you know this is true even in homes where no one currently smokes? Thanks to thirdhand smoke lingering in fabrics, floors, and especially the walls, we know now that there could be indirect, lingering, long-term exposure.

- Gas stoves, which are popular in most NYC apartments, release carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter into the air while you cook. This is why there’s been a push for cleaner cooking alternatives, such as electric stoves.

- Mold or mildew in a home is another air quality problem and can trigger respiratory and skin allergies along with general respiratory problems. For people with asthma, mold in the home will definitely exacerbate symptoms. Sometimes the mold is seen and is obvious, but most times it's invisible or behind a wall, or even under the flooring. 

Now let’s discuss lesser-known pollutants. Despite being non-obvious offenders, these are often the most problematic indoor air pollutants because they’re everywhere and widely used:

- Home air fresheners. Most of these products release volatile organic compounds, known as (VOCs) into the air. This can irritate the eyes and lungs. A lot of people are sensitive to these products not just because of the scent, but because of the chemicals released when used. Even unscented home air fresheners can contain, and release, VOCs.

- Some household cleaning products and disinfectants contain chemicals that linger in the air and cause irritation. An obvious ingredient example is bleach, while a non-obvious one is peppermint oil. Both these substances should be used properly diluted according to instructions, and should be used in a ventilated area.

- New furniture, flooring, and carpets contain and release chemicals like formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds into the home. This is what that new rug or car smell is, and why a lot of new items come with instructions to air out or ventilate the product upon opening.

- Printers, particularly older model laser printers, release ultrafine particles, volatile organic compounds, and even ozone into the air which also contributes to indoor pollution. 3D printers are another example.

Also on the list: nail polish, nail polish remover, scented candles, scented plug-ins, perfumes/cologne, incense, oil diffusers, old school hair spray, new school hair spray, wall paint, paint thinners, pet dander, pesticides, body sprays, and much more. Something to consider is that some products release Volatile Organic Compounds even while stored properly. So simply having them in your home is a source of air pollution exposure. Certain solvents and fuels meet this criteria, so do read labels carefully regarding storage of chemicals. 


While that was a lot, there’s one more thing. Many of these pollutants build up in our bodies slowly over time, causing harm over an extended period. Lead is a primary example of this, exposure to which is particularly harmful for children.


To further understand the impact of indoor air quality, let’s break it down by short-term and long-term effects.

Short-term, the effects of poor indoor air quality are felt pretty quickly, often immediately, or within the first few minutes of exposure. Symptoms include itchy eyes, throat irritation, and dizziness. Depending on what’s in the air, symptoms can include trouble breathing, especially for people with asthma, along with a headache and fatigue.

I had my floors done once way back, and was told it needed 24 hours to cure or set, I forget which one it was. Anyway, left the windows open and went back well after the 24 hours and woo chile… the chemical smell was still thick. I happen to be a bit sensitive to smells, so it felt like I could taste the sealing chemicals used on my floors. Despite not staying long, I had the worst headache for the rest of the day and Tylenol wasn’t touching it.

Next up is the very dangerous carbon monoxide. Exposure to carbon monoxide can have short-term effects that include fatigue, sleepiness, headache, losing consciousness, and possibly death. An odorless chemical, you won’t know there’s carbon monoxide in your apartment or home without a detector or sensor. And now that I said that, you should check to make sure that (a) you have a carbon monoxide detector, and (b) that is has a new battery. For a lot of people, the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors are 2 in 1, so now’s a good time to double check on that.

Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to indoor pollutants is linked to chronic respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Studies also show that poor indoor air quality in schools and workplaces leads to lower concentration and reduces productivity. Not surprising to learn that it’s hard to think and work when the air you’re breathing kinda sucks.


So, I just gave you a whole bunch of information, now what? Well, now I hook you up with evidence-based solutions that you can implement yourself:

As much as possible, ventilate, ventilate, ventilate! Open windows when you can, but do be mindful of the outdoor air quality. It’s a bit of a fine dance here. If the AQI isn’t good, you don’t want to open your windows and bring the polluted air inside your home. If the AQI is doing fine, which for me is under 50, then opening the windows is an efficient, free, and proven way to address indoor air quality concerns. 

If you have exhaust fans in the kitchen and/or bathroom, use them! In the kitchen this pulls cooking fumes out, and in the bathroom, it helps keep humidity low, which helps prevent mold. Exhaust fans help remove air from inside the home by actively pulling it out. These can be purchased for use as compact window units or you can see if your existing fan can get the job done while flipped around. The goal here is to suck the air inside your home, out.

If you have a home filtration system or use an air purifier, I recommend changing your air filters according to the manufacturer's instructions. Don’t sleep on this. If you have to change it in 3 or 6 months, do so as directed. This makes a big difference in how efficient the unit works in your home.


Let’s talk humidity! I live in an older home with dry heat, so I fight brave battles both for and against humidity, depending on the time of year. During heating season, the air in here is very very dry, so I keep a humidifier going almost nonstop. Dry air is hard on your hair, skin, nose, throat, and lungs, so it's best to keep humidity between 30-50%. In the height of summer, I have the opposite problem, so if you’re listening from a humid area, I feel your pain. If the humidity in your home is above 60%, then I suggest using a dehumidifier to prevent mold and keep the humidity closer to that 30-50% ideal. How much moisture is or is not in your air matters too! 

So how do you find out how humid your air is? A hygrometer is an inexpensive device that can tell you just that. It’s super easy to use and read, nothing fancy about it, you can even move it from room to room to get different readings. I recommend having one as part of a healthy home toolkit.

Plants are great, I love them and have lots in my home, but the truth is you’d need hundreds of them per person in your home to make an impactful difference in the quality of the air. I do still recommend having plants in your home, I just want us to be realistic about the expectations. Plants are and always will be the dopeness because at the end of the day they do make air.


So, what’s the big takeaway? Indoor air pollution is real and affects us far more than we realize —but you can take steps to improve the indoor air you breathe. This week, take inventory of what’s in your home that may contribute to indoor air pollution, and explore what you can do about it. Can you replace the item with something less toxic? Or can you get rid of it altogether?

Next podcast episode, we’re heading back outside to talk about urban air pollution. How bad is it really? And what can we do about it?



Thanks again for tuning in! If you found the information in this podcast useful, share it with a friend. And if you’re looking to learn and chat more about air quality and air pollution, connect with me on BlueSky at MsCarmenScience. You can also check out our Facebook page, named exactly after this podcast. Until next time—breathe easy and don’t forget that we all live on the same planet, so like it or not, we’re all in this together. This is Ms. Carmen signing off from Inhale, Exhale, an air quality podcast.