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PORTLAND, Ore. AirAdvice Inc., developer of the AirAdvice Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program, has released IAQ findings based on test data from more than 10,000 North American homes and businesses, conducted throughout 2004 using the AirAdvice IAQ monitor. The tests were conducted in partnership with 1,000-plus AirAdvice HVAC contractors nationwide.
Almost 96 percent of all homes tested suffered an IAQ alert in at least one of six areas:
1. Particulate matter.
2. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
3. Humidity.
4. Temperature.
5. Carbon dioxide (CO2).
6. Carbon monoxide (CO).
IAQ levels exceeded recommended ranges in two or more categories in approximately four out of five homes.
The three areas where measurements most often fell outside recommended ranges were particulates (86 percent of homes tested), VOCs (71 percent), and CO2 (47 percent). Abnormal humidity (43 percent), abnormal temperature (17 percent), and elevated levels of CO (2 percent) also occurred.
Both particulate matter and VOCs are known to trigger asthma (a disease that kills 14 people a day) and allergies, the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in America.
CO2 is rarely a safety problem, but elevated levels can indicate poor ventilation and the potential buildup of other harmful gases. Humidity and temperature likewise contribute to poor health when they are outside recommended ranges, as well as affecting general personal comfort and home deterioration rates.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental risks to public health. With most people now spending up to 90 percent of their time indoors, and with someone suffering from either asthma or allergies in one of every three American homes, clean, comfortable indoor air is becoming increasingly crucial to both comfort and health.
Contractors Take The Lead
The IAQ market is expected to increase from $2 billion in 2002 to $12 billion in 2010. In just five more years,...