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Test Your Indoor Air Awareness
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How much do you really know about the air you breathe in your home each day? Test your smarts on indoor air pollution causes, symptoms and remedies to help ensure you and your loved ones are breathing the cleanest air possible.
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1. True or False: Outdoor air is more polluted than indoor air.
False. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that indoor air is generally more seriously polluted than outdoor air—typically two to five, but in some cases 100 times greater than the outdoors*. Pair that with the fact that most people spend roughly 90 percent of their lives inside, and you can see why indoor air quality is such a serious issue.
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2. True or False: Smoke, asbestos, mold, dust and pet dander are the only culprits affecting indoor air quality.
False. Those are commonly recognized culprits, however, the EPA and American Lung Association have identified other household products—new furniture and carpet, household cleaners, paint or pesticides—as sources of indoor air pollution. Building materials and furnishings can emit pollutants more or less continuously; cleaners, paints and pesticides, which are used on a routine basis, release pollutants intermittently.
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3. True or False: If no one living in your home has breathing problems or other respiratory symptoms, you’re in the clear.
False. According to the EPA, serious health effects may show up years after exposure to indoor air pollutants, or may not show up until repeated or lengthy exposure**. What’s more, they can be quite serious, as in heart disease or cancer. Clearly, it’s a good idea to improve the quality of the air you breathe indoors even if you’re symptom-free.
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4. True or False: The air filter in your heating and cooling system can improve your indoor air quality.
True, but only if you change it regularly. Every three months is the normal recommendation for Filtrete™ Filters. Change it more often if your home has high dust or allergen exposure or construction happening in the home.
- 5. True or False: You can improve your indoor air quality if you test your home for radon, cover your garbage can, use your bathroom exhaust fan or choose non-toxic cleaning, household and hobby products.
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How did you do?
4 or more correct: Wow—are you air aware or what? Congratulations! Your lungs thank you.
3 or fewer correct: The good news is you now know more about indoor air quality than you did a few minutes ago. What a great jumping off point to begin bettering the air you breathe!
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