When it comes to your health and well-being, the air you breathe is of the essence. Nowadays, you are not just what you eat, but you are also what you breathe – the more so because the quality of your health is an indicator that you are not exposed to harmful air pollutants.

As per Air Quality Canada, people spend 90% of their time indoors, without realizing that the air they are breathing is 5 times more polluted than the outdoor air. The culprit of the toxic air could be excessive particulate matter, CO and CO2 levels, Radon, presence of VOCs from building materials, day-to-day products and human activities. The issue is, most people are unaware of the ill-effects of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and gambling with their health. These air pollutants have a low boiling point, which means their molecules evaporate and enter into the air easily. Once these pollutants come into contact with indoor air, they either become vapours or gases. The research indicates that these harmful chemicals in the air can result in short term or long-term health effects, even if we have learned to co-exist with them. These hazards are well warranted as your negligence can cause irreversible and devastating consequences.

Top Indoor pollutants and their effect on health

To protect yourself and your family, you need to regulate the exposure to high concentrations of the indoor air pollutants. People with respiratory diseases and people with heightened sensitivity are more susceptible to the health risks caused by air pollutants. Here are the top indoor air pollutants and their implications on the human body.

VOC – Volatile organic compounds

It is a large group of chemicals that are present in the products and materials used to maintain and build your house. Once these chemicals come into contact with the indoor air that you breathe, they release themselves. As per the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the concentrations of many VOCs are 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. The most common VOCs that are present in the air are – benzene, ethylene, glycol, formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride etc. The major sources of these chemicals are the day-to-day household products that you use – building materials, home & personal care products and human activities.

Sources Products

Building Material Paint, adhesives, carpet, vinyl flooring, composite wooden products, insulation, upholstery and foam etc.

Home & Personal Care Hairsprays, air fresheners, cleaning products, cosmetics, fuel oil, gasoline

Human Activities Smoking, Cooking, burning woods, printers, photocopiers, dry cleaning etc.

These two factors determine the health risks of VOCs – 1. the amount of VOC present in the air and 2. how long or how often a person breathes in it. Each chemical in the VOC family has its own level of toxicity and its own potential for causing health risks. Short-term exposure to VOC levels can cause – headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritation in eyes, nose and throat and can be a potential trigger for asthma. The long-term exposures are linked to severe problems like liver and kidney damage, cancer and central nervous system damage.