When the phrase ‘air pollution’ is mentioned, most people immediately think of traffic fumes, smoke from incinerators, or emissions from industrial plants or factories. Indoor air pollution in your own home doesn’t immediately spring to mind. There are various reasons for poor air quality in the home, but many people have no idea that this can be a factor that if left unchecked, can, sometimes severely, affect the health of the occupants.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are contained within many of the products and items we are surrounded by day to day, and are carbon-based chemicals which evaporate at room temperature. The list of products which contain VOCs is extensive, but among some of the most common household items to contain these potentially harmful chemicals are carpet adhesives, paints, upholstery fabrics, air fresheners, disinfectants and cosmetics. With so many household products containing VOCs, the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risk estimates that there are up to 900 chemicals in the indoor air we breathe. Staggeringly, that means that the air in our homes may in fact be up to 70% more polluted than the air outside, with airborne irritants significantly impacting our overall health and physical wellbeing.

Energy efficiency matters now more than ever. Despite a global recession and public spending cuts across the board, global warming remains one of the biggest threats to the planet and those who dwell on it. Put simply, energy efficiency is the attempt to reduce the amount of energy used to provide everyday products and services by making improvements to technology and buildings.

Most home owners don’t think about the quality of air in their home. While pollution from traffic and high pollen counts is often in the news, the fact that the air in your home can be just as bad for your health and wellbeing isn't as widely reported. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is defined as the absence of air pollutants which could affect the comfort or health of the building residents. Nowadays, we spend a lot of time insulating our homes - adding cavity wall insulation, double glazing and loft insulation to make them more energy-efficient and to save on our utility bills.

It's that time of year again, when the weather’s gorgeous and you’d love to be out in it and having fun, but the wheezes and the sneezes and the irritation of hay fever hit, and can easily ruin your summer. EnviroVent gives their top tips to reduce hay fever effects for you this summer.

Hay fever is believed to affect over 10 million people in the UK and can be an annual visitor or afflict people for a shorter time. It is an allergy caused by pollen or dust which inflames the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, causing a runny nose and watery eyes.

As every installer should know, high quality ducting is essential to the effective running of a ventilation system and there are a number of important considerations to take into account. When ducting is selected and installed correctly, it can improve and prolong the efficiency of the whole system, leading to long term low maintenance.

The air in our homes can be more polluted than the air outdoor so it is important to check the indoor air and take measures to improve it.

We’ve all done it. If it’s cold, if your neighbour’s doing some noisy DIY, or there’s a funny smell in the air, you shut your windows. Keep that nice, clean air in your house, and the nasties of the outside world away from your home. The problem with that is that with the super efficient double glazing and doors we have these days, you’re trapping all manner of things inside your house, turning it into a sealed box of potentially harmful elements. What can you do to keep your home’s air quality as good as it can be, even with the windows shut?

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that easily become vapours or gases. VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas. They are also released from many consumer products: Cigarettes. Solvents. If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, young children, or an elderly person in the house, you should find out about Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are the groups of people who are potentially susceptible to the effects of VOCs in the home.

More than 15 million homes are affected by Toxic Building Syndrome in the UK alone, so what is it, how does it affect you and what can you do about it? Essentially Toxic Building Syndrome is where the air quality in your home or office is so bad that it can affect the health of those inside. You see you might think you’re breathing clean air, but in fact the air inside your home can have more than 900 harmful chemicals and organisms in it, which you simply cannot see. Everything from carbon monoxide to mould spores can form part of TBS and they all have their own, hugely detrimental, effects on your health.

Up to 35% of all people throughout the world experience allergies at some point in their life, and this number is on the increase. At first, allergies only seemed to be increasing in developed countries such as the UK and USA but as more and more countries around the world become more industrially developed, they too are seeing an increase in the rate of allergies.