Jan. 31, 2009 - Beware of Invisible Hazards Lurking In Your Home

Beware of Invisible Hazards Lurking In Your Home

(NC)—When you hear the word pollution usually the first picture that comes to mind are large clouds of smoke billowing from factory smoke stacks or a line of countless vehicles spewing exhaust fumes. In fact, the majority of people still blame poor indoor air quality on outdoor air pollution. But this is simply not true.

Did you know that outdoor air pollution only counts for a fraction of indoor air pollution? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the average home can be up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air.

Invisible pollutants produced by common household substances, plus dust and excess humidity that get trapped in today's houses, can increase your risk of chronic respiratory illness and your home's risk of serious structural damage.

Today's well-insulated homes often lack the ability to "breathe" freely. Trapped, stale air and excess humidity can lead to mold build-up, unpleasant odors, condensation on windows, and even structural damage to your home.

Pervasive irritants such as dust, dust mites, cigarette smoke and other pollutants commonly found in household air may increase the risk of chronic respiratory illness, allergies, sinusitis, frequent headaches, coughing and asthma.

According to the Canadian Lung Association the most effective ways to control humidity and remove excess moisture and pollution levels from your home, apart from source control, are ventilation and filtration of circulating air.

The air exchanger manufactured by Venmar Ventilation is the first system to offer a unit that integrates heat recovery ventilation technology with HEPA filtration at an affordable price.

"With our system you can get the best of both worlds," says Gagnon. "It works to provide fresh air through ventilation and at the same time ensures the best indoor air quality by trapping airborne allergens such as pollen, dust, pet dander mold and bacteria through its HEPA filter with antimicrobial protection. The HEPA filter traps and removes up to 99.97% of airborne allergens and assists in distributing fresh air throughout the home." More information on the benefits of ventilation is available at www.venmar.ca.

- News Canada