Indoor Air Quality
尽管许多人把污染和空气质量差与户外联系在一起, is air quality better indoors? The answer is it depends. 室内空气质量(IAQ)对你的整体健康和幸福起着重要的作用, as well as the comfort of your home. 研究表明，建筑物内的空气可能比室外空气更受污染. 让清洁的空气在家里流通可以减少过敏症状, 防止病毒, 杀死细菌, and help you breathe easier on a daily basis.
因为你 他们在室内的时间可能比在室外的时间长在美国，你应该考虑建筑物(比如你家)的空气质量. The good news about indoor air quality is that you have more control over it than you do with the outdoor air quality. While you might not have the means to go around and eliminate all of the sources of indoor air pollution, 你可以对你的家做一些改变，以改善你呼吸的空气质量.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
室内空气质量是指建筑物内部的空气质量, such as your home, your office or a retail establishment. Indoor air quality is different from outdoor air quality as well as from air quality in an in灰尘rial setting, such as a factory or power plant.
有很多因素会影响你家里的空气质量:
- 温度
- 湿度
- 通风
- Chemicals and particles in the air
- 霉菌生长
你知道吗: The air in your home can be up to 5倍 more polluted than the outdoor air?
The quality of the air inside of your home where you spend a lot of time can have a considerable impact on your health. 经常, the health issues that result from poor indoor air quality are called “sick building syndrome” (SBS). SBS的迹象通常在人们离开建筑物后就会消失.
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What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
各种因素影响着建筑内部的整体空气质量. 造成室内空气质量差的原因包括:
- Poor 通风. 建筑物的供暖或制冷系统没有得到维护或运转不正常, 它可能使含尘空气在家中或建筑物内流通. A building or house that does not have working windows or that does not get a supply of "fresh air" regularly is also likely to have poor indoor air quality.
- 从油漆、家具和其他材料中释放化学物质. 你可能在建筑中找到的材料, 比如地板上的地毯或墙上的油漆, 持续释放污染物或挥发性有机化合物.
- Activities inside the building. Some cleaning products create fumes or contain fragrances that can lower the indoor air quality of a building. Certain activities, such as burning incense or smoking cigarettes indoors can also lower the quality of the air by introducing particulates into the air.
- 外部污染物和带入室内的污染物. 如果建筑物靠近室外污染源, such as a smokestack, there is the chance that contaminants and particulates from that source can make their way into the building.
- Pets and pests inside the home. If you live with animal companions, 它们的皮屑和皮毛会影响你家的空气质量. 如果你有过敏症，宠物皮屑可能是一个特别需要关注的问题. 另外, 如果你家有不请自来的动物客人, such as mice or cockroaches, 它们的粪便也会降低室内空气质量.
- High humidity levels. If the air inside of your home is damp or humid, there is an increased risk of mold growth, which can affect the quality of the air. 潮湿的家也可能是细菌生长的适宜环境.
What Are the Most Common Indoor Air Pollutants?
The types of pollutants that affect indoor air quality can vary based on what’s inside of a home or building and what can get inside of a structure. Although there is a long list of pollutants that can impact the quality of the air inside your home, if you do have poor indoor air quality, 很可能是下列一个或多个原因造成的.
Biological Contaminants
多种污染物属于“生物污染物”的范畴.“它们的共同之处在于，它们都来自有生命的源头. 例如，霉菌和细菌是生物污染物的两个例子. 宠物的皮屑和唾液也会导致室内空气质量下降, especially if you have allergies. 蟑螂产生的粪便和尿液(干燥后可通过空气传播), 老鼠和其他家养宠物也属于这一类.
Certain conditions inside of a house can create an environment that's hospitable for biological contaminants. Damp or wet areas can lead to the growth of mold, 在潮湿或潮湿的环境中，细菌、霉菌和尘螨也会大量繁殖.
Keeping the humidity levels in your home between 30 and 50 percent 是降低生物污染物污染风险的一种方法吗. Controlling any pests, 比如抓老鼠或蟑螂，把食物和水放在他们够不着的地方也有帮助.
一氧化碳
一氧化碳(CO)是一种棘手而危险的室内空气污染源. It is a gas that is colorless and odorless, 所以如果没有一氧化碳报警器就很难被检测到. 一氧化碳对人体健康的影响因建筑物内气体含量的不同而不同. At low levels, it might make you feel tired. 在较高水平时，它会导致思维混乱、头痛和流感样症状.
Potential sources of CO include:
- 电器: 燃气灶具, charcoal grills, 衣服烘干机, 热水器, 炉, space heaters and gas fireplaces
- 吸烟: 来自香烟和雪茄、燃木壁炉和木炭烤架的烟草烟雾
- 电动工具: Chainsaws, gas lawnmowers, gas-powered tools
保持室内一氧化碳含量在推荐水平以内的一种方法是让你的 heating system inspected regularly. It is also a good idea to install a 一氧化碳 detector with an alarm so that you know if CO levels become elevated.
甲醛
甲醛 is another type of colorless gas. It is produced as a result of combustion and is found in tobacco smoke as well as the emissions produced by fuel-burning heating systems.
在建筑物和家庭中发现的某些产品也可能含有甲醛. 这些产品, 例如用刨花板或压缩木材制成的家具, can "off-gas" 甲醛, especially in hot conditions. Ways to avoid or reduce exposure to 甲醛 include choosing furniture made from materials that comply with ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2009, ANSI A208.1-2009 or ANSI A208.2-2009 standards. 如果你不确定家具使用的材料, 保持室内通风良好可以让甲醛消散.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke
在家中或建筑物内吸烟可以从几个方面降低室内空气质量. Tobacco smoke produces both CO and 甲醛. It also contains approximately 7,000 other substances. 这是限制接触烟草烟雾中的污染物的最好方法, 既适用于吸烟者，也适用于家里的其他人, is to avoid smoking indoors.
Volatile Organic Compounds
挥发性有机化合物(VOC)是产品释放到空气中的一种气体. 甲醛 is an example of a VOC. Levels of VOCs are often are 10 times higher in indoor environments compared to outdoor environments.
在家庭和其他建筑物中发现的各种产品都可以产生VOCs:
- 油漆
- Cleaning products
- 地毯
- Laminate flooring
- 空气清新剂
- 农药
- 胶水
- 干洗溶液(用于干洗的衣物)
- Permanent markers
- 化妆品
Looking for and using products that do not contain VOCs is one way to reduce exposure to them indoors. 打开窗户并改善室内通风也有助于减少接触.
室内空气质量对健康有什么影响?
影响室内空气质量的污染物也会影响你的健康. In rare cases, poor indoor air quality can lead to specific diseases, such as Legionnaire’s disease. In other instances, 你可能会因为空气质量差而出现症状或感到不适, 但你可能无法确定具体是哪种疾病.
室内空气质量对健康的影响是立竿见影的, 这意味着它们在接触特定的污染物后会立即发病. These effects can also be long-term, 也就是说症状可能会持续数年, 或者你需要反复暴露在污染物中才能注意到任何不良影响.
室内空气质量差对健康的一些直接影响包括:
- 头痛
- 头晕
- 乏力
- Irritation to the eyes, throat or nose
- Difficulty breathing (asthma symptoms)
- 内存问题
- Stuffy or runny nose
一种方法来判断你的症状是由于室内空气质量差还是其他原因, 比如感冒, is to evaluate when they occur. 如果你只是在室内才觉得打喷嚏或流鼻涕, 那就更有可能是你家里的空气出了问题, rather than a 冷 or flu.
The long-term health effects of poor indoor air quality tend to be more serious than a runny nose or a headache. Ongoing exposure to pollutants in a home or building can potentially lead to heart or lung disease as well as certain types of cancer.
How Do You Know If Your Indoor Air Is Unhealthy?
有几种方法可以判断你家里的空气是否不健康. The first thing to do is to pay attention to any signs or symptoms that the indoor air quality is poor. If you notice dizziness, 在家时打喷嚏和其他健康影响, 你离开后这些症状似乎都消失了, 这可能是室内空气不健康的迹象.
Another way to determine if the air in your home is unhealthy is to examine and evaluate what you and other members of your family do inside. If people smoke indoors, regularly spray pesticides or air fresheners, or frequently work on craft projects with paint, 这些活动会影响你家里的空气质量.
潮湿的地区, 窗户上的冷凝物和可见的霉菌生长也是有问题的迹象. 如果家中有霉味或其他令人不快的气味，就说明湿度过高. 可以测量家中某些气体和VOCs的含量. 例如，一氧化碳检测器会在一氧化碳浓度上升时提醒你.
How Can You Improve Indoor Air Quality?
改善家里的空气质量通常包括三个步骤. The goal is to limit the pollutants indoors so that everyone who comes into your house can breathe more easily.
Keep Pollutants Out
The first step to improving indoor air quality is to limit the number of pollutants that get into your home. 有多种方法可以限制或控制室内污染源.
- 选择不含或不释放VOCs的产品.
- 重新考虑养有毛或羽毛的宠物，尤其是如果你的家人对你过敏的话.
- 选择硬木地板而不是地毯，这样可以减少灰尘和尘螨.
- 你的供暖系统的过滤器定期更换吗.
- Adjust or replace large appliances, such as a gas stove or furnace, to reduce the emissions they produce.
- 将室内湿度保持在建议水平之内(30%至50%).
- Don't smoke or vape indoors.
Improve the Air Circulation in Your House
Although reducing the number of pollutants that make it into your home is the first line of defense when it comes to improving indoor air quality, it is not the only thing you can do. 改善家里的通风或空气流通也有帮助.
In the bathroom or kitchen, 您可以通过运行排风机来改善空气流通和降低湿度. 淋浴时在浴室里开风扇有助于减少霉菌的生长. 在厨房里，一个排气扇将帮助引导任何微粒离开房子.
The simplest way to improve the ventilation of your house is to open up the windows or doors on a beautiful day. 打开房子四面的窗户可以产生柔和的微风或气流, helping the air flow through your home.
Clean the Air Inside Your Home
你可以做的第三件事来改善室内空气质量是清洁空气. 空气净化器的工作原理是过滤空气中的灰尘和其他颗粒, 它们是改善室内空气质量的其他方法的补充, 例如减少污染源和改善通风.
同时在家里安装一个空气净化系统, improving the ability of your heating system to filter the air can also help to improve indoor air quality. Installing a dehumidifier or otherwise controlling your home's humidity levels can also lead to an improvement in your home's indoor air quality.
Types of Indoor Air Quality
室内空气质量控制有三种基本类型. Each type can be taken care of with different types of IAQ products that can be easily added to your existing HVAC system.
湿度
In the summer there is usually too much humidity in your home and in the winter there is not enough. 这会导致很多舒适问题，甚至会破坏一个家. We use humidifiers to add humidity in the winter, 夏天我们用除湿机和空调来除湿.
过滤
家里的空气中可能漂浮着各种大小的颗粒. 有时你可以在阳光透过窗户照射时看到它们, 还有一些则很小，你根本看不见. 空气过滤器是用来去除空气中空气中的颗粒. 空气过滤器越好，它能捕获的颗粒就越小. Basic filters will only catch larger particles like 灰尘 but they will allow smaller particles to pass through. The primary function of a basic filter is to keep the A/C coil from becoming clogged with 灰尘 and lint. A more effective filter can capture tiny particles that can cause allergy issues like pollen and animal dander. Unfortunately, filters cannot capture microscopic items like bacteria, virus, mold spores and odors.
净化
The final step in achieving healthy indoor air is to neutralize the microscopic contaminates and odors. 有两种流行且已被证实的方法可以做到这一点. 第一种选择是基本的紫外线来消毒细菌、细菌、霉菌和病毒. 紫外线就像太阳一样通过改变DNA使其无法繁殖. In order for a virus or germ to make you sick, 它必须能够进入你的身体，然后繁殖. 紫外线改变了它的繁殖能力，所以它变得惰性，不会让你生病. The second option uses ionic technology. 这种方法净化空气的方式与雷暴使室外空气清新的方式类似. 它在空气中产生正离子和负离子, 导致微小粒子要么带正电要么带负电. This works in two ways. 第一个, it removes the hydrogen from the particles, which is their food source, basically causing them to starve. 第二个好处是它能使正电荷附着在负电荷上. This makes them larger as they clump together so that a filter can capture them or they become heavy enough to drop to the floor where they can be vacuumed up.
Products for Improving Indoor Air Quality
我们提供多种室内空气质素产品选择，以帮助改善您家中的空气质素. 我们所有的产品都可以很容易地添加到您现有的供暖和制冷系统或在您的家里. 帮助您确定哪种产品最能解决您家中的空气质量问题, 安排一个免费的家庭能源咨询与我们的专家能源顾问之一.
- Electronic Air Cleaners from Aprilaire offer in灰尘ry-leading particulate removal – providing you with protection against allergy and asthma triggers, 一个清洁工, healthier home with less 灰尘, and superior protection of HVAC equipment.
- 增湿器 消除过度干燥的空气对家庭和家庭的不健康和破坏性影响.
- 除湿机 清除家中空气中多余的水分，让家居更舒适. Our Aprilaire dehumidifiers are quiet, feature a digital control, meet fresh air ventilation standards, and have a 5-year warranty.
- PureAirTM Whole Home Solution 系统为每个房间和每一次呼吸提供更清洁的空气. 他们的系统处理三种类型的空气污染物:空气颗粒, germs and bacteria, and chemical odors and vapors. 他们删除99.9% of all particles like pollen, 灰尘, 和宠物皮屑, as well as 90% of viruses like MRSA, 冷, 和流感.
- 紫外线灯 是否有一个易于安装的解决方案，使您的家中空气更健康. These lights are installed in your furnace or AC system and sterilize bacteria and virus particles as the air circulates through your system.
如果你担心你在南马里兰州家中的空气质量, 明升亚洲手机版 Energy can help. We sell a variety of indoor air cleaning systems to help keep your home’s air as healthy for your family as possible. 打电话给我们, or get in touch with us online to find out what options we have available. 我们将帮助您为您的家选择最好的空气净化系统.
我们还提供 service agreements that include an annual tune-up, 什么可以帮助你确保你的供暖系统不会造成室内污染. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.