Particulate matter. Off-gassing. Sick building syndrome. If you’ve ever heard words like these and been clueless about their meaning, you’re not alone. Many homeowners remain unaware of these terms, leaving them more confused than bringing any clarity about home safety issues. Our indoor air glossary aims to bring clarity so you can actually understand what is happening inside your home. 

What is an Indoor Air Glossary and Why Do You Need It?

An indoor air glossary is simply a collection of terms related to the air you breathe inside your home. Think of it as a translation guide for what experts mean when they talk about air quality and use pollutant terminology. 

You need this because indoor air quality (IAQ) reports, product descriptions, and service quotes are dotted with technical jargon. When you know what terms like VOCs or CADR actually mean, you can make more informed decisions about indoor air quality testing and improving the air in your home. 

Without understanding air quality and home air testing vocabulary, you might buy the wrong air purifier or miss the warning signs in a test report. With this glossary, which has all the air quality definitions you need, you can take control of your indoor environment more confidently. So, let’s get started.  

All the Key Terms You Should Know About Indoor Air Quality

If you read a brochure, check out product descriptions for air quality testing, or talk to an expert, these are the IAQ terms you will likely come across. 

Common Indoor Air Pollutants

1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are carbon-based chemicals that easily evaporate into the air at room temperature. They come from common products in your home, like paint, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners. They can give you headaches, make you dizzy, or cause bigger health issues over time. 

2. Mold Spores

These are tiny reproductive cells that mold releases to spread and grow. They’re microscopic and invisible. If you’ve got damp spots in your bathroom or basement, you may have mold spores floating around. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, around 47% of homes in the US are affected by mold. 

Think your home may be affected, too? Get in touch with us at InHaus Lab, and we’ll conduct comprehensive mold testing and identify any issues in your home. 

3. Formaldehyde

This is a chemical that hides in glues, pressed wood objects, and even some fabrics around your house. It is released into the air slowly and steadily, especially in newer homes. If you breathe it in, it could irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. Over the long term, it may also lead to cancer. 

4. Radon

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms when uranium in the soil breaks down. It sneaks into your home through the cracks in your foundation. It is colorless and odorless, making it impossible to be detected without the aid of testing equipment. 

Long-term radon exposure could even cause lung cancer. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. 

5. Particulate Matter (PM)

You may have read these words in the headlines or heard them on the news. PM in pollutant terminology refers to tiny particles suspended in the air you breathe. They come from many different sources, like dust, smoke, pollen, or combustion. 

Because they’re so small, they can travel down your windpipe and get deep into your lungs. They could even enter the bloodstream and cause serious respiratory or heart issues.

There are different types of PM based on size. Check out what they are in the table below.

6. Pollen

Pollen includes the tiny grains that plants release in the air to reproduce. When it gets into your home through your windows or from other sources, it can trigger allergies if you’re pollen-sensitive. You may find your eyes and nose watery, and your throat may feel itchy. 

7. Pet Dander

If you’ve got a pet at home, your indoor air may have lots of pet dander. This is made of the dead skin cells that pets constantly shed. They’re microscopic flakes that float through the air, and they may trigger common allergies or asthma. 

8. Off-Gassing

Off-gassing is the process by which harmful materials release chemical vapors into the air over time. Common culprits at home include paint, new furniture, cleaning products, and cosmetics.  

9. Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is the combination of the smoke emitted by cigarettes and the smoke exhaled by smokers. When you break this in, your lungs are exposed to many harmful chemicals. 

Air Quality Metrics and Standards

1. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

An important term to add to your home testing vocabulary, the IAQ is a measure of how clean, healthy or polluted the air inside your home is. It considers the levels of pollutants like VOCs, mold, and particulate matter. 

Good IAQ means you’re breathing safer air, while poor IAQ can lead to health issues over time. 

Want to know how your home measures up? InHaus Lab tests your home’s IAQ and gives you a personalized Home Health Score. 

Contact us today to find out if your home is a safe place for you and your family.

2. Air Quality Index (AQI)

The AQI is a scale from 0 to 500 (or higher) that gives you a measure of the quality of air. Higher numbers mean that the air is worse and poses greater health risks. While it’s typically used for outdoor air, you can also use this metric to understand the quality of air inside your home.

3. Parts Per Million (PPM)

PPM is a measure of how much of a pollutant exists in your air for every one million air molecules. Think of it like measuring one drop of detergent in a large bucket of water. This unit simply helps you understand the concentration levels of gases like radon. 

4. Parts Per Billion (PPB)

PPB works just like PPM, but it measures even smaller levels of air pollutants. It’s a highly sensitive unit of measurement because finding one part per billion is like finding one second in 32 years. Because of this, PPB is useful for identifying contaminants that are harmful even in very tiny quantities.

5. Exposure Limits

Exposure limits tell you the maximum amount of a pollutant you can be exposed to without suffering any health risks. Regulatory agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set these limits based on scientific research. 

You need to test your home to find out if it has pollutant levels higher than the specified exposure limits. InHaus Lab can help you with this.

6. Acceptable or Safe Levels

Acceptable levels are the pollutant concentrations that are considered safe for you to live with every day. Different contaminants have different safe ranges. If your home IAQ test results reveal pollutant levels above these thresholds, you need to take immediate action. 

Health Effects of Poor IAQ

1. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

SBS is another important term in an indoor air glossary. It describes a situation where you start to feel sick when you spend too much time indoors in a specific place. However, there is no apparent illness. 

The symptoms may improve or disappear when you leave the building, but they return when you’re back indoors. 

Symptoms of sick building syndrome include:

• Headaches
• Eye irritation
• Dizziness
• Nose irritation
• Nausea
• Throat irritation
• Dry or itchy skin
• Coughing
• Chest tightness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Clogged nose
• Muscle aches

That’s what sick building syndrome is. It’s usually caused by factors like poor ventilation, indoor pollutants, inadequate temperature control, and high humidity. The air quality in your home also plays a major role in causing SMS. This is especially true if your house has VOCs, mold, or other contaminants. 

As one Reddit user shared, they’d been working from home for two years, and they felt unwell indoors. They woke up with a stuffy nose and slept poorly on the days they spent time indoors. 

Guess what their air quality testing revealed? Elevated VOC levels of around 200 ppb.

2. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

MCS is a condition where you become extremely sensitive to low levels of different chemicals in your environment. People may develop this after repeated exposure to pollutants like VOCs, fragrances, or cleaning products. 

Symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea
• Skin irritation

3. Respiratory Sensitization

Respiratory sensitization happens when your immune system becomes over-responsive to specific airborne substances. After the initial exposure to things like mold or certain chemicals, your airways may become increasingly sensitive to even small amounts. 

Symptoms include:

• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness
• Coughing
• Asthma-like reactions

4. Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

This is a lung infection caused by inhaling organic dust, mold spores, or bacteria in the air. It happens when your immune system overreacts to these particles. Usually, this is common if you have poorly maintained HVAC systems or water damage at home. 

The name sounds terrifying, but there’s good news. It’s mostly an acute condition. Only about 5% of people progress into the chronic stage, according to the American Lung Association.

Symptoms include: 

• Fever
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Dry cough
• Fatigue

Testing and Measurement

1. Air Sampling

Air sampling is how professionals collect air from your home to test for pollutants. They use specialized equipment to capture particles, gases, and contaminants. The samples are then sent to a lab for testing. 

2. Baseline Testing

Baseline testing is the process used to measure your home’s current air quality before any improvements are made. It gives you a starting point to compare the IAQ against future tests. This way, you can see if the changes you make actually improve your indoor air. 

3. Surface Testing

Surface testing is used to check your walls, floors, and furniture for contaminants. Mold and chemicals may be found on these surfaces, and they may indicate that your indoor air needs to be improved. 

4. Detection Limits

These limits tell you the smallest amount of a pollutant that a test can identify accurately. If the levels fall below this threshold, the test cannot tell you if that contaminant is present in your home or not. 

5. Air Quality Testing

Air quality testing is a comprehensive check performed by professionals. It is used to look for and measure VOCs, particulate matter, mold spores, radon, and other contaminants. The results give you a complete picture of the air you breathe in your home. 

6. Radon Testing

Radon testing measures how much of this invisible radioactive gas is leaking into your home. You can do short-term tests (2 to 7 days) or long-term testing for better accuracy. 

The EPA recommends that if the levels hit 4 pCi per liter or more, you need to get it fixed to reduce your cancer risk. 

7. Mold Testing

Mold testing can help you figure out what type of mold is in your home and how much of it is around. InHaus Lab professionals will collect samples from the air and surfaces, and send them to a lab for analysis. 

8. Mold Remediation and Removal

Mold remediation is the process of safely getting rid of mold and fixing the moisture problem that caused it in the first place. Professionals contain the area, filter the air, remove the damaged materials, and take steps to prevent it from recurring. 

From Theory to Action: Take the First Step to Better IAQ

It’s necessary to know all these terms that make up an indoor air glossary. But you shouldn’t stop with that. To really improve your health and your home, you need to move from theory to action. 

Take the first step today and get in touch with InHaus Lab. With our services in Aspen and Minneapolis, we can help you understand how clean or unhealthy the IAQ at your home is. 

What’s more, we’ll give you a quote in just 30 minutes.

The best part? Once we test your indoor air and give you the results, you’ll know exactly what each term means, thanks to your expanded home testing vocabulary.

Indoor Air Glossary FAQs

1. Why do I need to know IAQ terms?

If you know the important terms related to indoor air quality, you can make better decisions about your home’s IAQ. You can also understand what tests are being run and what the results mean. It also helps you understand what professionals mean when they offer suggestions or ask questions. 

2. Do I need to memorize all the terms in this indoor air glossary?

No, you can always use this glossary as a reference guide. Keep it handy when you review your test results or when you’re talking with IAQ testing professionals about your home. 

3. Can an indoor air glossary help me understand my home assessment results?

Yes, it helps with understanding the technical jargon in your reports. This means you can understand what pollutants are present and what you need to do about them. 

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References:

• National Institutes of Health
• American Lung Association, “Lung Cancer Causes & Risk Factors”
• American Lung Association, “Learn About Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis”
• Reddit
• Environmental Protection Agency