Indoor air testing is a process used to determine the current quality of the air in a residence, business, or public building. The idea behind indoor air testing is to avoid exposure to levels of various pollutants that are considered unhealthy by the standards set in place by a national environmental agency. Testing of this type is conducted by professional services, and can also be managed by using air-testing kits suitable for testing air quality at home.
Assessing indoor air quality is considered important to maintaining health. This is especially true in situations where windows are fixed, and are not equipped to allow the area to be ventilated by opening windows from time to time. Without proper filtering and maintenance, interior spaces can become breeding grounds for mold and various airborne irritants that lead to the development of serious ailments. Indoor air testing helps to identify situations of this type before they can begin to adversely effect people who regularly occupy the space.
Accurately measuring indoor air pollution involves using equipment and procedures that are in compliance with the standards set by local and national environmental agencies. In the United States, many homeowners and businesses make use of equipment that is manufactured in compliance with standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Utilizing methods and equipment that meet with these standards make it much easier to test for several different contaminants at one time, thus keeping the process of indoor air testing relatively simple.
For homeowners, it is possible to purchase indoor air testing kits that help to measure the efficiency of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems commonly installed in homes today. This includes testing the filter to make sure it is preventing contaminants from remaining in the air inside the home, as well as testing air purifier equipment to make sure it is eliminating contaminants from pet dander, cigarette smoke, and other sources that tend to make indoor air less healthy. Using these kits at least two to three times a year can help the family experience less incidence of allergic episodes, colds, and other health problems caused by constant exposure to airborne contaminants.
In a business setting, indoor air testing is routinely conducted in facilities where materials treated with different chemicals are part of the production process. The testing helps to ensure that the levels of pollution within the facility are kept at a level considered safe by current government standards. In this setting, the air conditioning system as well as emergency ventilation systems are commonly part of the testing, as well as regular sampling of the air in each area of the facility.
