Clean Air Day | The Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Today is Clean Air Day! This year, our Air Quality team are highlighting the importance of good indoor air quality and how our services can help to create healthier indoor environments.
Whether it’s in our homes or at our workplaces, we spend a lot of our time indoors, and the quality of the air that we breathe indoors can impact our health. Poor indoor air quality can result in a range of health issues, from allergies and asthma to more serious conditions like respiratory infections and cardiovascular disease.
Studies have found that indoor air pollution can be up to 5 times worse than outdoors! However, unlike outdoor air quality, there is currently no UK legislation for indoor air quality. Therefore, this Clean Air Day we are urging the UK Government to establish clear indoor air quality standards, to ensure that people are not exposed to harmful levels of pollutants in their homes or places of work.
Here are a few simple ways that you can improve indoor air quality in your home or place of work:
- Ventilation: Ensure proper ventilation by opening windows regularly to allow fresh air to circulate.
- Air Purifiers: Use air purifiers with filters to reduce airborne pollutants.
- Houseplants: Keep indoor plants that are known for their air-purifying properties, such as spider plants, peace lilies, and snake plants.
- Regular cleaning: Maintain a clean environment by cleaning, dusting and hoovering frequently to reduce dust and allergens. Ensure there is good ventilation when using cleaning products and always read the label – some cleaning products may require personal protective equipment, such as facemasks.
At Wardell Armstrong, we are able to provide bespoke indoor air quality plans for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) assessments. We help developments to achieve a BREEAM rating, through tailored indoor air quality plans, that aim to improve the well-being of the building’s users.
