Indoor Air Quality

What Is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

Indoor air quality is an analysis of the air quality environment within and around your home, buildings and structures.  Particularly as it relates to your health and the comfort of others while in a specific building/structure.  According to the American Lung Association, elements within our home and workplaces have been increasingly recognized as threats to our respiratory health. The most common pollutants are radon, combustion products, biologicals (molds, pet dander, pollen), volatile organic compounds, lead dust and asbestos.

The air quality of our indoor environments affects our health and often contributes to structural degradation and building failures within our homes.

Biological Pollutants: Includes molds, bacteria, viruses, pollen, animal dander and particles from dust mites, cockroaches and other pests.

Combustion Pollutants: Come from sources such as fuel burning stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, heaters, and water heaters, using gas, oil, coal, wood, or other fuel. The most dangerous and lethal are both colorless, odorless, tasteless gases know as Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

Radon: Is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and naturally occurring radioactive gas, can enter the home through cracks in the foundation floor and walls, drains, and other openings. Indoor radon exposure is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.

Asbestos: A non-flammable mineral that can produce microscopic fibers. Many asbestos products are found in the home, including roofing and flooring materials, and insulation for ceilings, walls, pipes and heating equipment.

Formaldehyde: A common chemical, found primarily in adhesive or bonding agents for many materials found in households and offices, including carpets, upholstery, particle board, and plywood paneling. The release of formaldehyde into the air may cause health problems, such as coughing, eye, nose and throat irritation, skin rashes, headaches, and dizziness.

Granite Inspection Group’s air quality testing and monitoring services help you identify causes of air quality pollution so you can eliminate them at the source.