The quality of the indoor air you breathe in when at home or in the workplace matters. That's because impure air can trigger diseases such as asthma and respiratory problems. For this reason, indoor air quality testing is essential. You need to understand as much as possible about this testing to ensure that you maintain the correct air quality. Fortunately, these FAQs will help you understand important aspects of indoor air quality testing.

What's Defined as Good or Bad Air Quality?

There are several pollutants present in indoor spaces that affect air quality and overall health:

Radon. The gas is colorless and odorless, and prolonged exposure to radon can cause lung cancer. Levels of 4 pCi/L or more are risky. Hence, you should carry out radon testing frequently.

Allergy triggers. Dust mites, pests, pets, molds, and smoke are common allergens that trigger allergic reactions. Common symptoms of the allergies include sneezing, coughing, wheezing, skin irritation, and inflammation.

Carbon monoxide. The gas has no odor or color and can cause suffocation if in excess indoors.

If these pollutants are in high levels indoors, then you have bad air quality. If you want to achieve good air quality, you should lower these pollutants to an acceptable level.

What Does Indoor Air Quality Testing Entail?

Typically, you can test for both radon and carbon monoxide by installing detectors in your home. Various monitors such as particle counters and Wi-Fi-connected monitoring devices detect the presence of particles that compromise your indoor air quality. If the pollutants are at high levels, the detectors will alert you. Additionally, you can use testing kits to identify molds and allergens indoors. Once you get the kits, you collect air samples and send them to the lab for further examination. The laboratory tests identify the specific molds or allergens present.

How Can You Improve Indoor Air Quality?

If your indoor air quality is compromised, you need to eliminate the impurities. Hence, you require an air purifier. The purifier usually filters the air, traps the particles and allergens, and releases clean air indoors. In addition, if mold is present indoors, you need to carry out mold removal to ensure that the air is free from spores. More so, reducing the levels of radon and carbon monoxide requires that you install a heat recovery ventilator, which reduces the gas levels via dilution from the exchange of indoor and outside air.

These FAQs provide the meaning of bad and good quality indoor air, what indoor air quality testing entails, and how to improve indoor air quality.