BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association) recently stated that: “Getting the built environment right for the future will deliver an economic dividend immediately, and put right one of our country’s great social injustices – the fact that people are forced to live, work and raise families in sub-standard buildings.”
This statement makes so much sense…
When we close the front door behind us, we no longer shut air pollution out; we shut it in… and then we pump in some extra outdoor pollution via ventilation systems. Our four walls no longer create a safe and cosy sanctuary; they box us into an increasingly toxic environment that is making us ill. Which is not good news when inside air is 3.5 times more polluted than outside air (Source: Clean Air Day) – and most of us spend more than 90% of our time indoors.
The causes of indoor air pollution are many and varied: they include contaminants and plastics, gases from cleaning products, building materials and furniture, bio-hazards such as infectious viruses and bacteria, and pollution coming in from outside.
The damage to our health is also many and varied – including increased cardiac disease, allergies, asthma, pneumonia and lung cancer. The long term health impact of inhaling microplastics is only just becoming understood.
It is therefore reassuring that BESA is addressing this growing ‘health emergency’ at its annual conference tomorrow. BESA is promoting the critical need to create ‘safe indoor havens’ by providing clean inside air.
But how do you change your indoor air from silently toxic and health-damaging to clean, health-enhancing and safe?
You could follow these two easy steps:
- Remove the pollution and particulates from the air
Sufficiently high-grade air purification equipment such as Ingenious Air Purification (HEPS) will reduce all three types of serious indoor air contamination:
- Volatile organic compounds (chemical pollutants) and carcinogens – including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxides.
- Particulate matter down to 0.3 microns – including dust particulates and microplastics.
- Bio hazards – including fungal spores, airborne viruses and pathogenic bacteria such as MRSA, E. coli and C. difficile, and bio-allergens including pollen and dander.
Ingenious air purification is high-grade because it combines three powerful technologies in one system to clean the air:
- High efficiency particle filtration down to 0.3 micron.
- UVC (ultraviolet C) light.
- Titanium photo-catalytic oxidation.
The purifier can be used in-duct (as a new installation or retrofitted to an existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system), localised or as a portable unit.
The in-duct option distributes air evenly using the induction air movement pattern. This ensures that there are no stale air pockets and more off the offside air passes through the air purification process. Any outside air brought in as part of a mechanical ventilation system should first pass through the air purification system before reaching the occupied areas.
The in-duct and localised air purifiers also have the option to add natural and safe probiotic surface purification. The microbial cleaning power of helpful probiotic ‘good’ bacteria thoroughly clean , balance and enrich hard and soft surfaces at a deep microbiological level.
When added to HVAC systems, probiotic dispersion prevents mould and pathogenic bacteria forming in the duct work as well as removing mould and bacteria that have already grown there. This also prevents mould and harmful bacteria being blown into the occupied environment, which helps to meet CIBSE TM40 recommendations for hygiene, wellness and air quality in the built environment.
- Remove odours and chemical pollutants at source
Replacing standard chemical and synthetic cleaning products (including floor cleaners, cleaning sprays, hand soaps, odour removers and toilet cleaners) with our naturally sourced microbial (probiotic) cleaning range helps in three ways:
- The sources of VOCs entering the indoor atmosphere – from chemical cleaning agents and any artificial air fresheners – are immediately reduced.
- The helpful probiotic ‘good’ bacteria efficiently remove the sources of unpleasant odours in a natural and mechanical way. This reduces the perceived need for ventilation above the requirements for oxygenation and CO2. This can also lead to a reduction in polluted air that is bought into the building as ventilation, thus further improving occupant health protection.
- The helpful probiotic ‘good’ bacteria continue to work after the clean.
Taking these steps will improve health and provides a feeling of personal well-being. It can also help to prevent illnesses and helps mitigate against costly medical intervention further down the line. It also helps to reduce energy use.
Contact us to find out more. You can also read more about Ingenious High-Grade Air Purification.
