When it comes to air quality, many of us are quick to assume that it only refers to the air in my outdoor environment. 

After all, that’s where pollution can occur, right?

The unfortunate truth is that indoor air quality has the potential to impact my lives in so many ways.

To help shed some light on this otherwise overlooked concern, the ByPurify team has compiled an extensive list of facts and statistics to help you understand exactly what indoor air quality should mean to you.

Let’s dig in… 

Importance of Indoor Air Quality

I often think of air pollution as an outdoor hazard, but the air I breathe indoors can be harmful too. 

Smoke, steam, mold, and chemicals used in certain paints, furniture, and cleaning products can affect indoor air quality and my health. 

Housing affects general well-being because most people spend most of their time indoors. 

There’s more

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors¹.

In addition to this, studies show that the amount of indoor air pollution is increasing due to factors such as chemicals in household products, insufficient ventilation, high temperatures, and high humidity. 

Short-term and long-term exposure to indoor air can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory disease, heart disease, cognitive impairment, and cancer. 

As a striking example, the World Health Organization estimates that 3.8 million people worldwide die each year from diseases caused by harmful indoor air.

Top 8 General Indoor Air Quality Facts & Stats 

The top 8 general indoor air quality facts and stats will show you just how clean the air in your home really is.

Like most homeowners, you probably don't know the half of it, but statistics show that indoor air is a lot dirtier than you might think.

Here are a few facts and stats that illustrate this:

• In 2016, 60% of the world had access to clean cooking fuels. 
• As many as 40,000 dust particles can be found in every ounce of dust in your air.
• Indoor air pollution can be reduced by switching to cleaner and more efficient fuels.
• Keep your indoor air clean by vacuuming it regularly. 
• HVAC systems remove 99.97% of airborne bacteria, dust, mold, and pollen particles as small as 0.3 microns.
• The US indoor air quality product market is expected to $9.9 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6% for the period of 2020-2025.
• The EPA has ranked indoor air quality among the top 5 environmental threats to public health. 
• Pet dander (especially cat dander) is small and sticky, so it sticks to everything in your home. 

Read this article for insights on key noise pollution trends and data.

Top 7 Indoor Air Quality Facts & Stats Related to Health

The top 7 indoor air quality facts and stats related to health paint a pretty vivid picture of just how bad the situation truly is. 

Let’s discover the reality of the situation:

• Many diseases are caused or worsened by polluted indoor air. 
• 91% of the world's population breathes highly polluted air.
• About 7 million people die every year from indoor and outdoor air pollution.
• Up to 3.8 million people die every year due to smoke from cooking fires.
• Pneumonia and ischemic heart disease are the most common causes of premature death from indoor air pollution. 
• 1 in 6 people who suffer from allergies does so because of direct contact with fungi and bacteria in their indoor air system. 
• Every year, about 4.2 million American children and more than 12.4 million people in total are affected by asthma, which can make indoor air worse. 

Top 5 Indoor Air Quality Facts & Stats Related to the Environment 

The top 5 indoor air quality facts and stats related to the environment brings everything into perspective.

Let’s take a look:

• Levels of some hazardous pollutants in indoor air are up to 70 times higher than in outdoor air.
• According to the EPA, women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate than women who work outside the home. 
• About 99% of the particles in the air are smaller than 1 micron (1 millionth of a meter). They stay in the air but never settle because of their small size. 
• Almost every home (96%) has at least 1 indoor air quality problem. Appliances that use gas, wood, or fuel can produce harmful products such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
• Many household cleaners, furniture, pesticides, and other common products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause health problems. 

Common Questions

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, my actions have consequences.

As illustrated by the facts and stats mentioned above, indoor air quality is a topic I all need to learn more about.

It’s time I uncovered the truth and did my part in improving indoor air quality, so are you up to join the movement?

Our purifier reviews are a great way to learn more about how you can do your part in cleaning the air.