HOW GREAT A PROBLEM IS INDOOR AIR POLLUTION?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA), Indoor Air Pollution is one of the world's top five environmental health threats. Every year thousands of people in the U.S. become sick from airborne microbes, many of them fatally so. And even more suffer from airborne allergens and other ailments related to HVAC system generated pollutants. In fact, recent studies indicate that HVAC related pollution is responsible for an incredible 75% of all reported poor indoor air quality, or “Indoor Air Pollution” problems.
The medical consequences associated with exposure to HVAC generated, and other indoor air pollutants can run the gamut from relatively minor bouts of eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and fatigue, to more serious infections as well as potentially lethal respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, Legionnaires' disease, heart disease and cancers.
Of particular risk are children, the elderly, and people of any age who suffer from chronic respiratory illnesses such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), cardiovascular diseases, including COPD, diabetes and obesity.
Here are some more HVAC and Indoor Air Pollution facts:
  • According to the EPA, the average American spends 90% of their time indoors.
  • Indoor air is, on average, 5 - 10 times, or 500% - 1000% more polluted than outdoor air.
  • 50% of all diseases in the US are caused or aggravated by indoor air pollution.
  • Poor quality indoor air is now a primary cause of lung cancer and asthma.
  • 70 percent of the U.S. population is afflicted by some respiratory illnesses, such as a common cold or flu, each year, with about 50% of those illnesses caused by indoor air pollution.
  • According to the American Lung Association, U.S. workers miss almost 15 million workdays each year due to asthma alone.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that some 65 million U.S. office workers are at risk of suffering from indoor air pollution.
  • The total approximate cost of poor Indoor Air Quality to the U.S. economy is a staggering $200 billion per year.
  • Poor indoor air quality can reduce the productivity of the average U.S. worker by 33%.
  • Recent studies comparing the scores of standardized tests, indicate that reducing poor indoor air quality by merely increasing classroom ventilation improved student test scores by 15%.
  • The inner-workings and ductwork in a brand new HVAC system can become infected with over 300,000 microorganisms per square inch after just 4 weeks of normal use.
  • Depending on droplet size and air movement, microbe containing aerosols can remain airborne for over 10 hours.
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