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 Mobile View ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD INFORMATION CENTER ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND HUMIDITY CONTROL TO PREVENT MOLD INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE Health Effects of Air Pollutants Common Indoor Air Pollutants Key Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality Whole House Ventilation Strategies Exhaust-Only Ventilation Supply-Only Ventilation Balanced Ventilation Air Filtering Strategies Particles in Indoor Air - Chart Quick Guide to Gases Air-Cleaner Types Particulate Air Cleaner Table Air Filter Effectiveness Real-World Effectiveness of Air Cleaners Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants Radon Hazards Formaldehyde Hazards Biological Pollutants Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs Pesticide Exposure Hazards Lead Exposure Hazards Asbestos Exposure Hazards Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality Combustion Appliance Contaminants Backdrafting Appliances Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold? MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX MOLD BY MICROSCOPE MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD DOCTOR? MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS MOLD FAQ's MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS MOLD KILLING GUIDE MOLD LEVEL REPORTS MOLD LEVELS IN BUILDINGS MOLD by MICROSCOPE MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TEST PROCEDURES MOLD TEST REASONS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY MOLD TESTING SERVICES ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP STAIN DIAGNOSIS TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES THERMAL TRACKING TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in Buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WATER ODORS More Information  InspectAPedia ® Home & Site Map InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
Here we discuss choosing and using different types of air filters or air cleaners to improve indoor air quality in homes. We include a table of the types of particles found in indoor air, particle sizes, and type of filter needed to remove them. We also include a quick guide to the common hazardous gases found in indoor air. We point out which filter types are effective for different indoor air particle or gas contaminants, and how to buy and use air cleaners. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. For optimum filter placement, design, and filtration alternatives on central heating and air conditioning systems, see AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS and OPTIMUM INDOOR AIR FILTERS. See ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings © Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. Air Cleaning & Filtering Strategies to Improve Indoor Air QualityAs noted in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction: There are many types and sizes of air cleaners and filters on the market, both stand-alone units and those integrated with HVAC equipment. Different types of air cleaners work on different types of pollutants and none handles everything. The effectiveness of a device depends on a number of factors including the type and efficiency of the filter, how much air flows through it, how well the polluted air reaches the filter, and how effectively the clean air is delivered to occupied areas. (Some small units tend to draw in the same air they just exhausted, creating a short circuit with little impact on the larger space). Also, with electronic air cleaners, performance drops off rapidly if the filters are not kept clean. Another limiting factor is that many allergies are linked to larger particles, such as pollen, house dust, animal dander, and some molds, that are more likely found settled on surfaces than suspended in the air. A high-efficiency vacuum is needed for these, not an air cleaner. Particles vs. Gases in Indoor AirSome filters are effective with particles, such as dust and pollen, and others are effective with gases, such as combustion fumes and formaldehyde. Certain pollutants such as tobacco smoke contain both gases and particles, so they require two types of filters for effective removal. Particles in Indoor Air - Particulates, Health Effects, & Air Filter Efficiency Chart Sometimes called “particulates,” these are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. They can be captured in mechanical or electrostatic filter elements. How many get captured depends on the size of the particle along with the type, size, and efficiency of the filter and the rate of airflow. See the particle size and filter type efficiency chart at left. Tiny respirable airborne particles, .01 to 5 microns in size, invisible to the naked eye, pose the greatest risk to health because they stay airborne for many hours, almost indefinitely when riding air currents, they move through a building much like a gas, passing through even very small openings where air leaks are present, and because they are breathed deeply into the lungs. Larger inhalable airborne particles 10 microns and above, (more likely to be trapped in the nose) are more often irritants and allergens (such as pollen grains or insect fragments and fecal pellet fragments in dust). HEPA filters provide the best filtering performance across all particle sizes. As a reference to size, the diameter of a typical human hair is 25 to 60 microns. Best Practices Guide Source: reprinted in the original text cited above, with permission from Oikois.com (C) 1994 Iris Communications, Inc. Respirable airborne particles. These are small, invisible particles, typically ranging in size from 0.5 to 2.5 microns (millionths of a meter) that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause acute or chronic illnesses. Examples include asbestos, viruses, bacteria, and the particles in tobacco smoke. Other sources include unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces, poorly adjusted furnace flues, and cracked heat exchangers. Health effects vary with the type of particle, degree of exposure, and individual sensitivity, and range from eye and respiratory irritation to chronic diseases, such as cancer. Inspirable airborne particles. Particles ranging in size from about 2.5 to 10 microns include dust, pollen, animal dander, and some mold spores. These can be inhaled, but they generally do not penetrate deeply into the lungs. They may cause allergic responses and other health problems in some individuals. Visible dust found in indoor air. Most particles over 10 microns get trapped in the nose and upper airways and do not generally cause health problems.
Quick Guide to Gases as Contaminants & Hazards in Indoor AirGaseous pollutants include combustion gases and a huge array of organic chemicals that have been detected in homes. Gaseous organic compounds can originate indoors from combustion appliances, cigarette smoking, cleaning and personal hygiene products, or hobby materials, or can outgas from building materials, such as pressed wood products, paints, adhesives, and caulks. Others, such as auto emissions and pesticides, originate out of doors and are drawn into the home with outside air. Health effects vary with type of pollutant, level of exposure, and individual sensitivity, and range from eye and respiratory irritation and allergic responses to cancer and other serious diseases affecting the respiratory, liver, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Gaseous pollutants can be removed from the air by passing them through special adsorbents, such as activated carbon, that adhere to the gas molecules. Radon & Other Gas Hazards in Indoor AirRadon is a radioactive gas that may enter a building from soil or groundwater. The gas breaks down into short-lived particles, which can get trapped in the lungs and cause cancer. Although some adsorbents can reduce radon gas levels and some high-efficiency filters can trap radon progeny, this has not been adequately tested and is not currently endorsed by the EPA as a radon mitigation method. For a detailed list of articles about various indoor gas hazards, gas testing equipment, and gas testing methods, see our GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING article links below. Also see A Guide to Reducing Exposure to Formaldehyde Hazards in Indoor Air See Radon Hazards in Buildings: health effects, measuring, remediation guide for details. See Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality, Health Effects for carpet, carpet padding, adhesive outgassing. VOCs as indoor gas contaminants are discussed at Guide to Sources & Remedies for Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs as Indoor Air Contaminants. -- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. Share this Article
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