For years Americans have thought of air pollution as an outdoor problem.  But new studies have revealed some alarming facts about the air we breathe indoors at home and at work.

For instance, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ACRI) reported that air pollution levels indoors are often 10 times higher than those outdoors.  This is a cause for great concern, as Americans spend an average of 90 percent of their time inside.

The pollutants we are exposed to indoors include cooking fumes and grease, aerosol sprays, nuisance dust, tobacco smoke, animal dander, ash, household cleansers, viruses, bacteria, pollen, and fungi.

The accumulation of indoor pollutants is greater than ever because today’s homes and offices are much better insulated than those of the past.  Improved insulation reduces heating and cooling costs, of course, but also traps contaminants indoors.

How serious is the problem?  Serious enough to have captured the attention of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has established “IAQ INFO,” a clearing house for consumer information.  Call 1-800-438-4318 to obtain literature about detecting and solving indoor air pollution.

Indoor air pollution has also spurred the U.S. Legislature to act.  In 1993 Rep. Joseph Kennedy II (D-MA) introduced a comprehensive IAQ bill to Congress.  A similar bill was submitted by Sen. Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME).  Both sought expanded research efforts and management practices to control and measure indoor air contaminants.

*exerpt from NADCA newsletter 1993