Air Quality Testing

How Do I Test the Air Quality in My Home?

Envirovent offer a home health check which is a professionally conducted survey of the air quality in your home.

Our local ventilation specialists provide a full service that measures the levels of different chemicals in the atmosphere of your home to identify whether there is a risk to your health.

The Home Health Check is a detailed Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) survey that is especially helpful if you suspect you may have a problem.  Many of us think that if we dust and vacuum regularly, as well as disinfect the surfaces around the home, then we are safe from particles that can cause us harm.

While this is sometimes true, a home may have more serious air quality problems than a general cleaning can fix. And, with toxic particles being invisible to the naked eye, you can’t always spot when you have a problem.

Photos will be taken; temperatures will be recorded, and weather conditions will be monitored.  All this data is gathered along with your responses to our simple questionnaire, in order to create your personal home report.

Why You Should Care About Your Indoor Air?

Although you might not often think about the quality of the air inside your home, it can be a major factor in your health.  Often, people don’t associate health problems such as headaches or stuffy noses with the quality of the air that they breath, but in fact around 81% of people are at risk of respiratory or skin problems as a result of the chemical pollutants in the air in their homes.

Some of the pollutants in the air in your home can be especially harmful to older people, children, and those with weakened immune systems or other health problems.  Exposure to high levels of formaldehyde can lead to increased cancer risk, and carbon monoxide poisoning can quickly be fatal.

Air quality can negatively affect health of people with asthma and hay fever, as well as causing short term problems including headaches, fatigue, sore eyes, and skin rashes.

Indoor Air Pollution

According to The World Health Organisation (WHO) some 3.8 million people die worldwide every year because of household exposure to air pollution in their homes.

The most common household air pollution smoke from dirty cookstoves and the use of fuels inside the home.  Global studies show that 50% of all pneumonia deaths in children under the age of five are caused by household air pollution.

Every home as a variety of sources of pollution including heating, cooking, smoking, and cleaning as well as chemicals released from furniture and cosmetics.  Some indoor pollution is in the form of particulate matter – for example from traffic outside the building, and this can be stirred up as people move around.  Modern homes, which are designed to be airtight to be more energy efficient can become traps for indoor air pollution as the air is unable to escape without adequate ventilation.

Different Types of Indoor Pollutants:

Indoor pollutants fall into three main categories – biological, chemical, and combustion by-products.

Biological pollutants include mould, pollen, dust mite faeces, bacteria, and dander.

Chemical pollutants include volatile organic compounds such as Formaldehyde, along with lead and radon gas.

The by-products of combustion fall into the final category and include carbon monoxide from inefficient heating systems, and tobacco smoke.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are airborne pollutants that can be found in the air inside our homes. 

VOCs are irritants which affect people in different ways depending on their sensitivity.  People with allergies and respiratory conditions will often be more affected by these chemicals. 

Volatile Organic Compounds can be found in a variety of consumer products including:

• Cleaning Products
• Aerosols
• Tobacco Smoke
• Hobby Supplies such as Paint and Glue
• Scented Candles

Short term side effects of exposure to VOCs can include:

• Allergic Reactions
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Respiratory Problems

As well as being irritants that can create short term problems like allergic reactions, long term exposure to VOCs can be dangerous for your health.  They can cause damage to your liver and kidneys and have also been shown in some cases to contribute to increased risk of cancer.

What Do We Test For In Your Home?

series of test using state of the art equipment.  The test looks for a variety of different substances in the air and takes around 90 minutes to complete. 

The comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Check costs just £299 including VAT, and will test for the following:

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Formaldehyde
• Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOC)

To book your home health check, please click below, or contact us to find out more.