Many modern individuals tend to spend a considerable amount of time indoors. As such, it’s important to ensure that the air quality in one’s home is good. Poor indoor air quality can lead to a variety of negative health effects, such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, congestion, worsening asthma, and even severe lung disease. To improve the indoor air quality in your home, you must be able to recognize common indoor air pollutants and their sources. This will help you eliminate the presence of harmful contaminants in your air so that you can breathe freely.

Carbon monoxide

Also known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible and odorless gas. When inhaled, carbon monoxide prevents your body from using oxygen normally. As a result, it can cause you to feel tired, nauseas, and dizzy. Inhaling a high enough concentration can even result in death. This dangerous air pollutant is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon monoxide leaks often occur from sources such as improperly installed heaters or other combustion appliances without vents.

Radon

Radon is a harmful, highly radioactive gas. Like carbon monoxide, it’s also colorless, odorless, and tasteless. In addition, it also doesn’t pose any immediate symptoms. Prolonged exposure to the gas, however, is linked to lung cancer. This dangerous gas typically enters one’s home through the ground beneath it, as it’s produced naturally as the uranium in the earth breaks down. If your home has elevated levels of radon, you can hire a qualified professional to remove it.

Mold

Mold is an extremely common indoor air pollutant. While some types of mold are virtually harmless—aside from their negative impact on the appearance of your home—others can release spores into the air, potentially causing eye, nose, skin, and throat irritation as well as headaches, fever, and breathing issues. Mold typically thrives in dark, moist environments. As such, to prevent an outbreak in your home, you should aim to keep your humidity levels from rising too high.

Volatile organic compounds

Also known as organic gases, volatile organic compounds are emitted from a variety of different sources. If high quantities of VOCs are in your air, they can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as dizziness, cancer, and central nervous system damage. Common indoor sources of VOCs include cleaning supplies, pesticides, glue, paint, and permanent markers. To reduce the presence of VOCs in your home, consider using natural cleaning supplies, ventilating your home, and storing known sources of VOCs outside.