Breaking the Cycle of Complacency in Indoor Air Quality

Complacency is one of the biggest obstacles to innovation, and indoor air quality (IAQ) is no exception. Despite experiencing the most significant pandemic in a century, we have yet to fully grasp the urgency of investing in new technologies and strategies to make our indoor air safer and healthier.

The silver lining is that the pandemic has brought heightened awareness to IAQ. Many long-established facts about how indoor air affects our health have been scrutinized scientifically and practically more closely. As a result, existing solutions have gained more recognition and understanding, paving the way for better implementation.

Modern residential homes are designed for energy efficiency with exceptional air tightness in residential construction. Many new homes now incorporate energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) to help achieve these new ventilation goals. However, ventilation alone is just one piece of the IAQ puzzle.

Most mechanical ventilation systems rely on filters to clean incoming fresh air and recirculated indoor air. While this approach seems effective, the reality is that even highly rated MERV13 filters capture less than 50% of airborne viruses. This should be a wake-up call –we must move beyond basic filtration and integrate more effective, proven technologies into our homes.

To create healthier indoor environments, we must first break the cycle of complacency in our pursuit of IAQ. Going the extra mile means embracing innovation and prioritizing air quality with the same urgency as energy efficiency. Our health and wellbeing depends on it.

About Peter Cantone. He is founder of Smart Air Defense located in White Plains NY, USA. Peter Cantone is an Environmental Justice Advocate for K12 schools.