AIR QUALITY

Quality of life and quality of air are directly related. The vast majority of us spend most of our time indoors.

According to Health Canada, people spend about 90 percent of their lives indoors. Indoor air quality — the purity level of the air contained within our homes — can be lower than the quality of the air outside, even in congested, industrialized cities.

Poor indoor air quality can degrade structural elements like paint and blanket your home with a lingering, unpleasant smell. But more ominously, indoor air pollution can directly impact the health of the people and animals that spend countless hours inside the home, contributing to or causing ailments ranging from allergies and asthma to far more serious conditions, like those associated with exposure to dangerous mold and other airborne irritants.

WHAT CAUSES INDOOR AIR POLLUTION?

Many factors contribute to poor indoor air quality, including, but not limited to:

• Burning oil, gas, wood, kerosene or coal for cooking or heating
• Smoking
• Building materials such as carpet and insulation, as well as cabinets or furniture made out of some kinds of pressed wood
• Certain products associated with cleaning, maintenance, personal care and hobbies
• Pet dander and other animal-related particulate matter
• Dust, mold and mildew
• Outdoor pollutants and toxins such as yard pesticides

VENTILATION IMPACTS AIR QUALITY

Inadequate ventilation can make indoor air pollution even worse by reducing the flow of fresh outdoor
air. Fresh, outdoor air dilutes polluted indoor air, reduces moisture and carries polluted air out. “Tight,” energy-efficient homes can be especially susceptible to ventilation problems and often require mechanical ventilation to ensure a clean, safe, fresh atmosphere within the home — but that ventilation must be filtered in order to be effective.

THE CATECHIN FILTER

Catechin is a natural bioflavonoid (an organic compound typically used for flavorings or medicines) that is found in green tea. It contains antiviral and antioxidant properties, which are used in catechin filters to improve the air quality inside your home. Catechin air filters act as deodorizers, and they can also reduce the presence of disease-causing viruses and bacteria, preventing those hazards from travelling between rooms.

THE PLATINUM DEODORIZING FILTER

Some systems are equipped with the Platinum Deodorizing filter, which further decreases odors. Through the use of a platinum catalyst, this high-end filter harnesses the power of nanotechnology to attack odor-causing particles at the molecular level. Quality of life and quality of air are directly related. The vast majority of us spend most of our time indoors. Although the cars, power plants and factories we associate with pollution are not with us in our homes, the air inside, which we breathe most frequently, is often the air that is the most polluted. Air purification in the home is the solution to deodorizing and purifying the air we breathe and can contribute to better health for the inhabitants.

SOURCES:
Health Canada: Indoor Air Quality

This article has been sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc.