indoor air quality
Indoor Pollution Worse Than Outdoors.
According to studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), indoor levels of airborne pollutants may be 2-5 times,
and occasionally 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. Moreover,
we spend about 60% of our time inside our homes where poor air
quality is attributed to the cause or aggravation of half of all
illnesses.
Size Does Matter.
As a measure of efficiency, filtration is usually referred to
by the size of contaminants that can best be removed. A typical
one-inch, disposable furnace filter removes just 10% to 15% of
airborne contaminants. Made from fiberglass, these low-efficiency
filters are basically intended to protect the heating and cooling
system’s coils from becoming clogged by larger particles.
Lint, pollen, dust mites, and mold spores are the larger particles
in the 10-to-100+ micron range (1 micron = 1/25,000th of an inch).
In high-efficiency filters, there is actually more surface area
for filtration to take place. Thanks to denser, smaller trapping
spaces, filtration is enhanced to effectively screen out the smallest
contaminants. Atmospheric and household dust, animal dander, bacteria
and other pathogens, if smaller than 2.5 microns, can be absorbed
directly into the bloodstream.
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