Indoor air quality is critically important for health and wellbeing, because people spend up to 90% of their time inside their homes, offices, schools, and cars.
So, where you can you find the latest news, research, and resources on indoor air quality?
Here is a list:
- Get the IAQ Research of the Month Newsletter by Ian Cull, PE, CIH. Each newsletter summarizes the latest research from peer-reviewed journals related to indoor air quality.
- Check out the “Interactive Tour of the Indoor Air Quality Demo House” from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- The EPA has indoor air quality information, funding opportunities, events, publications, and more. EPA also has IAQ tools for schools.
- ASHRAE, an international society of more than 50,000 heating, refrigerating and air-conditioning professionals, offers a variety of resources from training to best practices for design and construction.
- The American Lung Association runs a resource hub for healthcare professionals.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an air quality webpage with data, health impacts, training, and more.
- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has information on how indoor air quality affects health and disease.
- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America unpacks indoor air quality, how it impacts health, and how to improve indoor air.
- The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation offers indoor air quality tools.
Indoor air quality is important in the development of chemical intolerance (CI) and TILT, said Dr. Claudia Miller, allergist/immunologist, professor emeritus, and leader of the TILT Research Program at UT Health San Antonio.
Learn more about TILT in this tutorial.
What can you do about indoor air quality?
Use the TILT Research Program’s guide, “7 Steps to Create a Clean Air Oasis,” in English or Spanish, to select the right cleaning materials and improve the indoor air quality in your home.
“Choose a room where you spend the most time (often the bedroom) or transform your entire home,” Miller said.
The World Health Organization also shares several strategies for reducing exposure to household air pollution and accelerating the transition to clean household energy:
- introduction of cleaner technologies and fuels for cooking, heating and lighting
- improved housing and ventilation design
- supportive government policies and economic incentives
- education and awareness-raising to support necessary changes in cultural habits related to cooking and household energy management.
The organization also issued Guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion.
How do you know if you have TILT and chemical intolerance?
Answer these three questions from the TILT Research Program on Chemical Intolerance:
- Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?
If you answer YES to any question, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!