Indoor air health threat more acute and widespread than public is aware

2/7/2012 8:38 AM EST

The study of pregnant mothers by Umeå University indicates high levels of traffic exhaust fumes and ozone can lead to a bigger risk of premature birth than the mother smoking. But solving the problem is not as easy as just staying inside. The buildup of polluted air indoors poses a major threat to health and wellbeing that many people don’t know about

Jonas Holst, Blueair Head of Sales and Marketing.

Our homes and offices are constantly being bombarded by high levels of airborne pollutants that most people are unaware about. The US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has stated indoor air levels of many pollutants may be more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels. Air pol- lutants in buildings are of particular concern because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA.

Jonas Holst, Blueair Head of Sales and Marketing.

Blueair, the leading maker of indoor air purifiers, warns that new research by a top Swedish university, indicating traffic and ozone pollution causes more premature births than the mother smoking, could mislead people to believe that their indoor air is free of pollutants. Blueair says that contrary to what many believe, indoor air is often far more polluted - and harmful to health - than the air outside. 

“The study of pregnant mothers by Umeå University indicates high levels of traffic exhaust fumes and ozone can lead to a bigger risk of premature birth than the mother smoking. But solving the problem is not as easy as just staying inside. The buildup of polluted air indoors poses a major threat to health and wellbeing that many people don’t know about,” said Jonas Holst, Blueair Head of Sales and Marketing. 

Describing the new findings as very worrying, Holst said the Umeå University research reflects just the tip of an iceberg and to get rid of the problem people need to take measures to clean their indoor air far more than today.

“Our homes and offices are constantly being bombarded by high levels of airborne pollutants that most people are unaware about,” he said. The US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has stated indoor air levels of many pollutants may be more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels. Air pollutants in buildings are of particular concern because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA.

Blueair is currently launching a campaign in Europe, Asia and the USA to help raise public awareness about the health dangers of indoor air pollution. The campaign is designed to also show how people can dramatically remove 99.97% of everything potentially harmful, including traffic exhaust particles and other allergens.

“It’s amazing that modern cars are fitted with air filters to protect drivers and passengers, but little is done to improve healthy air conditions inside our buildings where we live and work,” says Jonas Holst.

Blueair indoor air cleaners have consistently emerged top of strict independent tests carried out by the global air cleaner standard CADR, which have been conducted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM). The testing shows that Blueair air purifiers clean more indoor faster than any competing air purifier.