Good indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial to your health and wellbeing. We’ve talked about what is good indoor air quality in the previous blog post. Now, let’s see how you can keep the air fresh!
Measure the CO2 level to gain smarter insights
The first step in keeping the air quality healthy is getting to know it. A modern CO2 monitor like Aranet4 will allow you to do this easily by measuring the CO2 levels, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure indoors. When the monitor indicates that the air in the room has deteriorated, it is time to act.
(Aranet4 HOME air quality monitor)
The optimal CO2 level indoors should stay under 1000 ppm (parts per million of CO2 in the air), although some researchers suggest staying below 800 ppm is best.1, 2 When it exceeds 1400 ppm, our cognitive functions decrease by a staggering 50 %.3 Exceeded CO2 levels indoors can make us feel sleepy or irritable, induce a headache, and have long-term health risks as well. When the CO2 level increases, amp up the clean air exchange by opening a window or turning your ventilation on.
Pay attention to other parameters as well
Similarly, think about the temperature and humidity level indoors. Keep the air temperature from 18 to 24 °C / 64 to 75 °F and relative humidity from 30% to 50% for the best indoor air quality in the long term.
Few tips on ventilation:
– If the air exchange seems to be slow, try cross-ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of the space
– If you live in an industrial area or near a busy road and your only ventilation option is opening the windows, try ventilating more at night to avoid pollution from the traffic
– Keep the space tidy – don’t forget to clean your HVAC systems if you use them
1 – FAQs on Protecting Yourself from COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission, <https://tinyurl.com/FAQ-aerosols>, Version: 1.88, 13-Aug-2021.
2 – Welsh Government services and information, Covid infection risk control and improving ventilation, <https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-10/carbon-dioxide-monitors-education-settings.pdf>.
3 – Harvard Library Office for Scholarly Communication, Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers: A Controlled Exposure Study of Green and Conventional Office Environments, <https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27662232/4892924.pdf?sequence=1>.