
- The average American breathes 3,400 gallons of air each day, making ambient air pollution a major environmental problem.
- Indoor air quality is one of the EPA’s top five environmental risks to public health.
- 87 percent of American homeowners are not aware that pollution may be worse inside their homes than outdoors.
- Common indoor air pollutants include dust mites, pollen, mold, radon, carbon monoxide, excessive carbon dioxide, and other chemical fumes.
- Indoor air pollution is two to five times worse (sometimes a 100x worse) than the air outdoors.
- Air pollution contributes to lung disease, respiratory tract infections, asthma and lung cancer.
- The largest reductions in indoor air pollution can be achieved by switching from solid fuels (biomass, coal) to cleaner and more efficient fuels and energy technologies.
- Indoor air pollution is a problem for all types of homes, whether in a dense urban city or a rural town.
- Nearly 2 million people die prematurely from illness attributable to indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use.
- The three most important methods of improving indoor air quality are source removal, air cleaning, and increased ventilation.
- Controlling exposure to indoor allergens and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) could prevent 65 percent of asthma cases among elementary school-age children.
Follow these tips for reducing pollution in your home. GO [1]
Sources: American Lung Association [2], Air Quality [3], EPA [4],
Environment [5]