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Air pollution in the home

We are all familiar with outdoor air pollution. We also know that it has consequences for our health.

Brochure 'Ventilation and ventilation'
Leaflet 'Environment and health'

Less well known, however, is the importance of good indoor air quality. After all, we spend a large part of our time indoors: at home, at the office, at school, in shops, at restaurants, etc. The quality of the air you breathe is therefore very important for your health.

Causes of pollution

There are many causes of air pollution in the home: heating appliances, fireplaces, building materials, furniture, cleaning products, cooling systems. Cooking and some hobbies can also pollute the air in your home. And don't forget: the pollution that comes in from outside.

The effect on health depends on the nature and concentration of the pollutant, and on the frequency and duration of exposure.

What you can do to limit the risk varies depending on the source of pollution.

Risk persons

The greater the pollution, the more people will experience complaints. But it is difficult to predict who will be more affected. However, some risk groups are more susceptible to the consequences of polluted air.

  • Children , because their immune system is not yet fully developed. This makes them more sensitive to air pollution - especially the tobacco smoke they breathe indoors - and more susceptible to asthma and bronchitis.
  • Persons with a lung condition such as asthma or chronic bronchitis.
  • Patients with a serious illness who spend a lot of time indoors.
  • People with an allergy to dust mites or pets.
  • Pregnant women and their unborn baby.
  • Women , because they usually suffer from dry eyes and a dry throat more quickly.

Health consequences

Poor air quality in your home can cause many complaints .

  • Respiratory complaints such as:
    • irritation of nose and throat;
    • to sneeze;
    • cough;
    • lung diseases such as asthma and chronic pulmonary disease (COPD);
    • lung cancer;
  • Allergic reactions such as:
    • itchy, watery eyes;
    • a runny or stuffy nose;
    • to sneeze;
    • cough;
    • itch;
    • atopic eczema;
    • complaints of asthma.

Polluted air can also affect other parts of the body.

Furthermore, the consequences may differ depending on the cause of the pollution.

How can you prevent indoor air pollution?

Ventilation and ventilation are the most important things to combat the effects of air pollution.

Ventilation

Ventilation is the constant renewal of the air in the home, replacing the polluted indoor air with fresh, oxygen-rich outdoor air.

  • Ventilation must be done continuously . Too good insulation without regular ventilation prevents the polluted indoor air from escaping and being diluted. Even if you live in an area where the outside air is highly polluted, permanent ventilation is recommended.
  • Ventilation can be done via simple ventilation grilles in windows, windows and walls. Fresh air enters the house through these grilles. The air spreads in the house through grilles in interior doors or walls or moves through cracks and crevices.
  • There are also mechanical ventilation systems based on fans for air supply and exhaust. Air supply takes place in dry rooms, air is extracted in damp rooms such as kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
  • Does your home not have a ventilation system or grilles ? Then ventilate by opening your windows or leaving them ajar with a window stop. In cold or windy weather, a crack is often sufficient. Although some energy is always lost, ventilation is necessary for your health.

Relief

Ventilation is an intensive form of ventilation in which you open windows or doors for a short period of time .

  • Ventilation is necessary at times when ventilation is insufficient . For example, if many people are present in the home, if you place new furniture in the house and certainly if it has been painted or glued, or if smoking occurs indoors.
  • To minimize the effect of polluted outside air, better ventilate through windows or doors at the rear of your home and outside peak hours . There is no general rule about how long to ventilate for. This depends, among other things, on the size of your windows, how far they are open, the wind direction and the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.
  • Ventilation cannot replace ventilation. The effect of ventilation is over after twenty minutes. In addition, you lose a lot of heat and therefore energy by opening your windows wide. Windows that are left ajar also cause a lot of heat loss.

Specific tips

In addition to ventilation and ventilation, you can also take precautions against specific causes.

Source: Doctor Elise Rummens, prevention doctor CM, in collaboration with the intermutualistic working group 'Environment and health'.