Atmospheric pollution is a hot topic right now, but did you know that the air quality in your home can be 5x worse than the outside air. New peer-reviewed data clearly articulates that air pollution, especially ultrafine particles generated from burning natural gas, wood, and incense (who knew?) has the potential to harm every organ in the body.
Chemicals from carpets, paints, cleaning products, scented air fresheners, and dryer sheets, can also linger in the air and cause health issues. Anything in your home with that "new smell", is outgassing chemicals in the air 24 x 7. The particles of concern are the ones you can’t see.
Some of the other airborne culprits are; hairspray, perfume, dry shampoo, and anything coming from an aerosol can.
Air-quality sensors that allow users to gauge the level of impurities in their homes are also becoming more accessible to the average consumer. Now, you can buy a sensor for less than $200 and connect it right to your smartphone to know the quality of the air in your home at all times. The Kaiterra Laser Egg+ Chemical ($170) connects to your smartphone to measure and report on several types of air pollution, whereas the more affordable Temtop M10 Air Quality Monitor ($79) keeps it simple without smartphone connectivity—a glance at the display gives you real-time readings.
Intellipure is taking sensor tech a step further by developing a program to monitor outdoor and indoor air quality and help you understand the difference. It may alert you that your bedroom is high in particulate matter, but the outdoor air quality is better—so, open a window.
One of the most important recent changes to the air purification market is that you no longer have to spend a fortune for an air purifier to be effective. Priced between $100 and $300, highly rated products from Blueair and Coway are more affordable yet still small and stylish enough to blend into their surroundings. Companies like Dyson and Molekule produce some of the best purifiers on the market, and recognize that people are willing to pay a premium.