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IAQ Facts and Information
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The American Lung Association estimates that we spend 90% of
our time indoors, and indoor air can be 2 - 50 times more pollutant than outdoor air.
Statistics show that 50 million Americans suffer from
allergies caused by substances found in the home or office.
Frequent disposable filter changes can not stop contamination.
These filters only stop approximately 10% of the dust and pollen while 90% passes through
your HVAC system.
Deaths related to asthma have risen 40% over the past 20
years.
The World Health Organization listed Sick Building Syndrome as
a high priority due to the large number of people potentially at risk.
An EPA study showed that indoor air may be as much as 100
times more pollutant than outdoor air.
The World Health Association estimates that 30% of the
world’s modern buildings are plagued by indoor air pollution.
IAQ litigation has been increasing every year, and recent IAQ
lawsuits have commanded hefty settlements.
When the HVAC system is in operation, contaminants are
re-circulated continuously. By turning the system off, contaminants are allowed to grow
and accumulate.
Children are more likely than adults to be effected by
polluted indoor air because they breathe faster, inhale more air per unit of body weight,
and are closer to the ground where there is a greater concentration of contaminants.
A study conducted by NUS found 57 commercial offices having
unacceptable levels of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a cancer-causing agent found in
furniture glue. They also found that 60% of the buildings tested had unhealthy carbon
dioxide levels.
The effects of dirt and dust cause 9 out of every 10 heating
and cooling system failures.
The Total Health and Better Health Magazine stated that 1 out
of 6 people who suffer from allergies do so because of the direct relationship to the
fungi and bacteria in the air duct system.
The EPA stated that a build up of just 0.042 inches of dirt on
a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency of 21%.
The average adult inhales 2 tablespoons of household dust a
day.
The average six-room house collects 40 pounds of dust per
year.
SRP stated that dirt can cause your unit to loose up to 20% of
its efficiency, and that they can also cause expensive repairs when the evaporator coil
gets dirty.
A report published by the EPA in 1990 ranked indoor air
pollution as the highest risk to human health among all types of environmental problems.
There are only two ingredients needed for the growth of
microbial contaminants like mold, fungi, mildew, and bacteria. The first is a source of
carbon-based nutrients, which includes common household items like dust or animal hair.
The second is moisture, which is found in your air conditioning system.
The journal of the American Medical Association stated that
the risk of respiratory infection is 45% higher among occupants of energy efficient
buildings.
42,000 dust mites can be found in one ounce of dust.
Only a total system cleaning, including all the ductwork,
fans, coils, and other components, will yield positive results. Naturally this is only a
portion of the system is cleaned, the areas which were not will quickly re-contaminate the
rest.
"Children, elderly people and people with breathing
problems, allergies, and lung diseases are particularly susceptible to disease-causing
biological agents in the indoor air" EPA - Department of Consumer Affairs
Contaminated air-handling systems have been associated with
outbreaks of Pontiac Fever. ACGIH
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