WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER: Air Quality in your Home May Be Worse Than at Work

Feb 3, 2022 @ 10:28am

Focused businessman working at laptop in office

The Air Quality in your Home May Be Worse Than in your Office Building

Some bad news if you thought working from home was much better for you than working in an office building.

Texas A&M University researchers have found that the air quality inside homes might actually be worse than the air quality inside office buildings.

They found air pollution indoors is most often linked to building materials and activities of people living and working in those buildings.

The pollutants include volatile organic compounds from carpet and furniture, paints, and other chemicals as well as fine particulate matter, and mold.

The health effects from exposure to indoor pollutants can range from headaches and dry eyes to cardiovascular disease and lung cancer—and as a result, there’s been significant work done to improve office building indoor air quality.

However, the number of people who work from home has dramatically increased, over the last two decades as well as the last two years (since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic). That means home indoor air quality may now be considered a workplace health issue.

Indoor air quality can be improved by opening windows when outdoor air quality allows it, or by providing remote workers with air purifiers.

Clear the air, a little more, here: (EurekAlert)

Researchers found that indoor air quality in people’s homes is generally worse than in office buildings, as over the years, many steps have been taken to improve office air quality
But as more people work from home, researchers say indoor air quality should be considered a workplace health issue—and it could be remedied by simply opening windows when the weather allows, or providing remote workers with air purifiers

WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER: Air Quality in your Home May Be Worse Than at Work

TAGS