News on recent federal Environmental Protection Agency regulation might be interesting for people who want to try to maintain better indoor air quality in their homes.
Specifically, in February the EPA changed a particular part of its regulations on air quality standards regarding PM2.5.: the EPA is setting a new level for ‘primary health based’ annual PM2.5 at 9.0 µg per cubic meter. That standard was previously set at 12 µg per cubic meter.
The EPA did not change primary and secondary welfare PM 2.5 standards.
Along with this change, the EPA is also improving efforts to educate people about the risks of PM2.5.
What is PM2.5?
PM2.5 is a type of particular contaminant in the air that results from things like wood burning and coal burning.
This can come from natural processes like wildfires, from industrial facilities or from other sources like a simple campfire or bonfire.
PM2.5 exposure is known to carry certain health risks, and can lead to people developing long-term conditions in response to overexposure. It’s particularly bad for people with allergies, asthma, compromised immune systems or various respiratory conditions, like COPD.
What does it mean for business?
What the new EPA rule means for business is that they may face additional challenges or limits in permitting processes.
Industrial operations require certain kinds of oversight, and companies that violate EPA standards may be fined.
A resource from August Mack Environmental shows that some of the most common types of violations have to do with recordkeeping – where businesses don’t keep adequate records of permit and operations activity. Others have to do with installing new equipment without a permit, or failing to maintain systems in a way that limits emissions. At the end of the day, all of these have to do with emissions, but some violations are more document-based, while others actually raise emissions levels.
Ways to Combat Poor Air Quality
So in an industrial context, most of the ways that the government wants business to control air quality is through limiting emissions, and keeping good records of how those emissions are limited.
It’s different when you’re trying to protect a family or household in a residential setting. Homeowners and family members don’t have to wade through paperwork or adhere to various record-keeping standards that are common in the industrial world.
What often ends up happening is that residential uses involve mitigating what has already been emitted somewhere else.
You might have an impact from regional wildfires, or chemicals from industrial processes that somehow make their way inside the home. You might have industrial pollution that impacts your local area (maybe tied back to certain operations or even violations) in ways that lower your home’s indoor air quality.
So one of the most common solutions, and an effective one, is indoor air purifier units. These machines take in air on a continual basis and run it through filtration systems (or other processes) that will remove harmful contaminants from the air. In other words, because you’re so often dealing with emissions that occurred offsite, the strategy is to scrub that particulate out of the air, and make it healthier for everyone to breathe. You can also use modern air monitors to check on the quality of your air, and understand how it’s being impacted by contaminants like PM2.5.
We can help you to design a plan for your home or space, with the right air handling units and equipment to keep your air clean and breathable. Ask us about sizing, placement, and new technologies like filterless air purification that can help you to choose the systems and units that are right for you. At US Air Purifiers LLC™ we are used to going the extra mile to help you get just what you want – so that you can be confident in your purchase.