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  • Indoor air quality can be up to <i>five times worse</i> than outdoor air, which can have a very detrimental impact on your health. One study identified a total of 586 different chemical pollutants in the indoor air of 52 homes along the Arizona-Mexico border.


December 26, 2011 | 316,788 views
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By Dr. Mercola




  • Asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems
  • Headaches
  • Eye and skin irritations
  • Sore throat, colds and flu
  • Memory loss, dizziness, fatigue and depression


Tips for Healthier Indoor Air


Here's a small sampling of them:









Do You Know What's in the Air You Breathe?






Four Major Sources of Air Contamination You DO have Control Over









Use solid wood whenever possible.







For more information and guidelines on selecting healthier alternatives, see this helpful article by Healthy Home Plans.

Air Purification Requires a Multi-Faceted Approach

The most effective way to improve your indoor air quality is to control or eliminate as many sources of pollution as you can first, before using any type of air purifier. You simply must eliminate all fixable sources of the indoor air pollution, otherwise it is like trying to drive your car with your foot on the accelerator and the brake at the same time.

This is particularly true for mold. No air purifier will ever remove the source of the mold, which is typically related to a previous or ongoing intrusion of water into the living space, providing increased humidity levels that molds require.  You simply must repair this before you consider any air purifier to solve your indoor air quality issues.

Once you have eliminated the sources of indoor air pollution, there are a wide variety of devices on the market that function in a number of different ways. My recommendations for air purifiers have changed over the years, along with the changing technologies and newly emerging research. There are so many varieties of contaminants generated by today's toxic world that air purification manufacturers are in a constant race to keep up with them, so it pays to do your homework.

At present, and after much careful review and study, I believe air purifiers using Photo Catalytic Oxidation (PCO) seems to be the best technology available (see chart below).

That said, truly effective air cleaning requires a multi-pronged approach that incorporates a variety of different air cleaning processes/technologies as no one device can remove all types of pollutants. Finding ONE air purifier that does it all is like trying to find one magic vitamin that would meet all your physiological needs. Still, if you can only afford one, newer devices employing PCO technology will remove the widest spectrum of pollutants.

Air pollutants fall into three main categories, each requiring a different approach:

  1. Biological particles (molds, bacteria, spores, viruses, parasites, animal dander, pollen, etc.)
  2. Non-biological particles (smoke, dust, heavy metals, radioactive isotopes, etc.)
  3. Gases (fumes from things like adhesives, petroleum products, pesticides, paint, and cleaning products; radon, carbon monoxide, etc.)

Modern air purification devices work using the following four primary technologies:

Technology Types of Pollutants How It Works
Filtration Particles and biologicals Mechanical or electrostatic, these physically trap particles in a filter (HEPA is example)
Photo Catalytic Oxidation (PCO) Particles, gases, biologicals Destroys pollutants using a UV lamp and a catalyst that reacts with the UV light
Negative Ionization Particles and biologicals Disperses charged particles into the air to attract to nearby objects, or to each other, thereby settling faster
Ozone Biologicals Activated oxygen assists with the breakdown of biologicals

Basic Steps for Improving the Air Quality in Your Home

Aside from being mindful of the building materials and furnishings used during construction or renovation and using an air purification system, there are a number of other things you can do to take charge of your air quality and greatly reduce the amount of indoor air pollutants generated in the first place:

  • Vacuum your floors regularly using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner or, even better, a central vacuum cleaner which can be retrofitted to your existing house if you don't currently have one. Standard bag- or bagless vacuum cleaners are another primary contributor to poor indoor air quality. A regular vacuum cleaner typically has about a 20 micron tolerance. Although that's tiny, far more microscopic particles flow right through the vacuum cleaner than it actually picks up! Beware of cheaper knock-offs that profess to have "HEPA-like" filters—get the real deal.
  • Increase ventilation by opening a few windows every day for 5 to 10 minutes, preferably on opposite sides of the house. (Remember, although outdoor air quality may be poor, stale indoor air is typically even worse by a wide margin.)
  • Switch to non-toxic cleaning products (such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) and safer personal care products. Avoid aerosols. Look for VOC-free cleaners. Avoid commercial air fresheners and scented candles, which can degass literally thousands of different chemicals into your breathing space.
  • Ensure your combustion appliances are properly vented.
[+] Sources and References
