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Newsletter #3
The Facts about Indoor Air Quality One of the main reasons for heightened public concern about deteriorating indoor air quality is the alarming increase in the number of children and your adults with severe allergies and asthma. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 2001 National Health Interview Study, over 7.6 million children (5-17 years) and over 12.7 million young adults (18-44 years) suffer from asthma. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers to the public. EPA research also concluded that indoor air can be two to five times (and sometimes as much as 100 times!) more polluted than the WORST outside air! Since research indicates Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, it’s no wondering that asthma and allergy suffering is on the rise. The reason indoor air quality substantially deteriorated over the last 30 to 40 years is because changes in the new home construction practices that evolved out of the 1970’s energy crisis created “tight homes” that are tightly sealed, heavily insulated and very energy efficient. While these new construction practices helped conserve energy which is good for our national security, they also “locked-in” allergenic particles, infectious agents and toxic compounds, which are bad for the health and well being of our families. Your beautiful, “clean” home could be a major source of airborne contaminates that could prevent you and your family from feeling “healthy” and “energetic”. Allergenic particles such as pollen, dust, mold spores, fungi spores, tobacco smoke, dust mites, pet hair and pet dander all contribute to poor indoor air quality. Heating and air conditioning ducts which are dark, damp and rich in “nutrients” provide an excellent breeding ground for mold, fungi and dust mites which can spread rapidly when these ducts are in use to heat or cool the home. Poor ventilation and dirty filters are also major contributors to unhealthy contaminates in the home. Mold and fungi can cause “discomfort”, infections and commonly trigger allergic reactions. The bad news is that these conditions exist, to some degree, in every home no matter how clean they are… the good news is that there are ways to control them. That is why you need to give us a call. We are trained to locate these problems and offer solutions to control them. Call us today for a free evaluation of your heating and cooling system for IAQ problems.
Best regards,
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