According to conventional wisdom, dirty air is associated with factories or exhaust pouring out of cars and buses. “Polluted” is usually not a word associated with the air inside someone’s home. Yet, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is often more contaminated than the air outside – up to five times more polluted. The EPA estimates that most people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors – in their homes, in offices and in stores. This would be especially true during the colder months of winter, when outside activities are much less appealing. And unclean air in the home may cause several problems, ranging from slight discomfort to some forms of cancer. So, improving the air quality in our homes is something we should all take seriously. Unfiltered air in the home can also be filled with pollen, mold spores, dust, dirt and other allergens that can act as triggers for asthma, allergy attacks or other breathing-related ailments. According to the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, allergies, which are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease, affect as many as 40 million to 50 million people in the United States. And even people without breathing problems should be concerned with purifying the air in their homes.
