Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. It is one of the most harmful gases potentially found inside the household as immediate exposure can cause illness or death if exposed to high levels.After carbon monoxide is breathed in, it enters your bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body) to form carboxyhaemoglobin. When this happens, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen, and this lack of oxygen causes the body’s cells and tissues to fail and die.

For this reason, it is essential to be aware of the levels of Carbon Monoxide inside your home. Please see below the Air Quality Index for Carbon Monoxide levels and their symptoms:

Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is a colourless gas with a very strong odour. It ends up in our atmosphere primarily due to activities associated with the burning of fossil fuels such as at power plants or copper smelting. Sulfur Dioxide can also be released into the air through natural means e.g. volcanic eruptions.

If you breathe air containing sulfur dioxide, it will be absorbed into your body and rapidly enter the bloodstream.

Guidelines for Air Quality Index of Sulfur Dioxide:

In the long-term, 1-year average concentrations of sulfur dioxide should not exceed 30 ppb 0.03 ppm.

The short-term, 24-hour average concentration should not exceed 140 ppb 0.14 ppm more than once a year.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, governmental agency of America) regulates levels of sulfur dioxide in the workplace. This regulation states that workroom air should contain no more than an average of 2 ppm sulfur dioxide over an 8-hour working shift for 5 consecutive days in a workweek.

NIOSH (American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) recommends that the average workroom air levels of sulfur dioxide not exceed 2 ppm over a 10-hour period.

The 15-minute average exposure in air that should not be exceeded at any time during a workday is 5 ppm.

Please see below the Air Quality Index for Sulfur Dioxide:

Nitrogen Dioxide

Scientific evidence links short-term NO2 exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, with adverse respiratory effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma. Studies also show a connection between short-term exposure and increased emergency room visits and hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses.

NB: EPA retained the annual average NO2 standard of 53 ppb.

Guidelines for Air Quality Index of Nitrogen Dioxide:

Ozone Pollution

What is Ground-Level Ozone Pollution?

Ozone (O3) is a photochemical oxidant that is not emitted by a primary source. In fact, it is produced as a consequence of other pollutants already in our atmosphere and hot weather conditions. E.g. nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) and the energy from solar ultra-violet (UV) radiation. This type of ozone-laden atmospheric pollution, often called "smog", occurs in the lower layer of the atmosphere.

Potential Health Effects of Ozone Pollution

Ozone can:

• Make it more difficult to breathe deeply and vigorously.
• Cause shortness of breath, and pain when taking a deep breath.
• Cause coughing and sore or scratchy throat.
• Inflame and damage the airways.
• Aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
• Increase the frequency of asthma attacks.
• Make the lungs more susceptible to infection.
• Continue to damage the lungs even when the symptoms have disappeared.
• Cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Guidelines for Air Quality Index of Ground-Level Ozone Pollution:

TVOCs (Total Volatile Organic Compounds)

TVOCs are primarily an indoor air quality concern. This is because studies have shown that levels of several volatile organic compounds average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors.

Common examples of TVOCs that may be present in our daily lives are: benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride etc. These tend to be present in day to day household items such as: Paint, varnishes, caulks, adhesives, Carpet, vinyl flooring, Air fresheners, cleaning products, smoke, cooking etc. Some even appear naturally in certain types of wood.

Nonetheless, an excessive amount of VOCs in your household have been shown to cause negative health effects. For example:

Acute/short term exposures (hours to days):

• Eye, nose, throat irritation
• Headaches
• Nausea/vomiting
• Dizziness
• Worsening of asthma symptoms

Chronic exposures (years to a lifetime):

• Cancer
• Liver & kidney damage
• Central nervous system damage

What levels of TVOC are safe?

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has stated that levels greater than 0.5 ppb (parts per billion) inside households could pose a health hazard. However, data from thousands of homes tested showed the median value of 1.2 ppb, more than twice the recommended level. Even slightly elevated levels of these airborne chemicals could produce health concerns for people, particularly young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who suffer from allergies and asthma. Therefore, our recommendation would be to keep your living area as ventilated as possible to prevent exposure to TVOCs.