In 2001, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the results of the National Human Activity Pattern Survey. It revealed that, on average, Americans spend 87 percent of their time indoors and an additional 6 percent in enclosed vehicles. In 1800, 90 percent of Americans worked outside.
200 years later, less than 20 percent did. As more of our daily lives have been spent inside, the number of people with respiratory diseases, heart disease, certain types of cancer and/or other health problems has dramatically increased.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce the risk of indoor health concerns. While a great deal of energy can be used to purify indoor air, the EPA suggests three basic strategies to mitigate the problems while minimizing the impact on energy costs.
