Is air quality testing an essential part of healthy living or is it part of the “green advertising revolution?” As more people recognize the importance of being green in their choices, the advertising and marketing has targeted the green revolution to the point where is can be confusing for consumers to determine necessity from hype. Air quality testing has become a necessity in our life for a variety of reasons. The quality of the air in the home as well as the workplace can be highly compromised by many different contaminants.

air quality testing

Indoor air pollution is a serious problem. Most people spend between 80% to 90% of their lives living inside a building, whether it is an office or their home. This means that the air quality inside a home or building can pose a larger threat than outdoor air pollution, and according to some scientific studies, can be more deadly than highly polluted cities.

Indoor air quality testing is the only way to know exactly what types of pollutants are floating around the home or office. Air pollution inside a building can come from a wide array of different sources including the heating system, insulation that still has asbestos, cooking elements and Teflon, as well as the outdoor air pollution that enters the home. If you live with a smoker or work in a building that allows smoking even in a partitioned area, tobacco pollution can be added to the list.

Air quality testing within the workplace should be required, although technically it is not. Even in high risk industries, air quality testing is not a requirement for maintaining healthy standards. Many companies won’t test for air quality because it leaves a record of the company’s knowledge of indoor air pollutants. This means that they will then open themselves up to a wide variety of Worker’s Compensation claims. Requiring all office, manufacturing, and even health care buildings to perform routine air quality testing would eliminate potential health problems.

Natural pollutants like mold, fungus, and other irritants can cause significant health problems. Long term exposure to mold and fungus can cause serious illness, especially in those that are already suffering from respiratory ailments like asthma and COPD. Other natural pollutants, like radon, can be like living with a destructive ghost that causes asthma and other respiratory problems.

Most of us live with air pollution in our homes and offices and show no obvious ill effects. In many cases, there aren’t any detectable ill effects while in other cases there could be immediate or long term damage to one’s health. This is part of why there is a push for air quality testing throughout industries and it is recommended for homes. The potential effects can range from the development of asthma to respiratory failure in severe cases.

Fortunately, air quality testing isn’t terribly expensive or time consuming. One simple test can show you exactly how many different airborne pollutants are in your home. Once you know what you are facing it becomes much easier to deal with the problem. Good air quality inside the home is one of the most important elements of providing a safe home for your family. The cleaner the air that they breathe, the healthier they will be for life.