Air Essential! As a result of the growing movement toward responsible living in our natural environments, many consumers are fostering environmentally consciousness lifestyles when it comes to designing interior spaces. Eco-friendly living isn’t a passing trend. It is a lifestyle choice that recognizes that health and wellbeing are directly related, not only to what foods we eat or how much exercise we get, but also to the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Probably the best way to define the Eco Lifestyle is making choices that consciously maintain a respect for life.

This eco-friendly type of interior design has a powerful impact on your quality of life. Once you’ve experienced its benefits, you can never go back.

As you can see, the demand for eco-friendly interior spaces not only makes perfect sense, it is a vital element in supporting healthy lifestyles. For individuals seeking to optimize their healthy lifestyles, evaluating indoor air quality at home and at the office is an excellent place to start.

Take for instance, the air that we breathe. It’s safe to say that there is nothing that we are more dependent on for life. Who doesn’t enjoy being outdoors just after a thunderous rainstorm? Why is that?

It’s mainly because the air is so pure and invigorating! When it comes to indoor environments however, that same cleansing process does not happen naturally. As a result, there has been a marked increase in childhood asthma and allergies in adults. Sick Building Syndrome is being diagnosed at an alarming rate as doctors acknowledge the impact of indoor environmental conditions on one’s health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued an alarming declaration when it announced that the air we breathe inside our home or office can be as much as 100 times worse than outside air pollution.

“While pollutant levels from individual sources may not pose a significant health risk by themselves, most homes (and offices) have more than one source that contributes to indoor air pollution. There can be a serious risk from the cumulative effects of these sources,” states the EPA’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality. In response, the EPA, along with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), are united in naming Indoor Air Issues on their list of growing health concerns.

Indoor air pollution is ubiquitous and takes many forms, ranging from toxic off gases from carpets and laminates to dust mites that feed off of the constant shedding of dead skin. Both residentially and commercially, there are also complex mixtures of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds that omit toxic off gases. This means that, for a specified period of time, harmful toxins are omitted into the indoor environment. As a result, many people live and work in spaces that make them feel noticeably ill, yet they fail to realize it has to do with poor air quality.

As more and more people are made aware of this problem, they are taking action beyond inhalers and antihistamines. At home and at work, they are responding with better-designed choices that support healthful indoor interiors. Optimum air quality is obtainable through ventilation improvements and air purification. Carpets and paints are now available that boast low off-gas emissions. Maintenance products and practices also play a heavy role in interior wellness sustainability, as many traditional cleaners and practices have harmful residual affects that are directly related to inhalation. And of course, smoke free environments are becoming the trend in public and workspaces.

An eco-friendly interior, akin to the finely tuned body, doesn’t just happen by osmosis. It requires a commitment to healthy choices. Healthy interiors are created through thoughtful consideration and careful planning. Like a healthy diet, once again it is about taking control and achieving a goal one step at a time. Rarely is it possible to correct everything all at once. But with indoor environments, you can begin by addressing the air that you breathe.

For additional information related to healthful indoor environmental solutions contact:

U-SHAREEF International Inc. (Universal Standards for Healthful Athletic, Recreational, Educational and Extended-care Facilities) which is a pending non-profit company dedicated to championing the cause of indoor environmental issues and is supported by companies specialized in products and service related to healthful indoor environments including eco-design, ‘green’ construction, sustainable building materials, maintenance products and practices, including indoor air and water purification.

U-SHAREEF International Inc.
PO Box 10841
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
412.680.4326
www.ushareefin.com