Everyday activities like getting ready for work, cleaning up and cooking meals release contaminants and toxins into the air in your home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that pollutants in indoor air come from three main categories:
Particulates such as dirt and dust
Biologicals like bacteria, viruses, pollen and fungi
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, such as formaldehyde, benzene, cleaning products and pesticides
Some of these pollutants trigger allergy, asthma or respiratory symptoms. Others are dangerous with ongoing exposure, as the smallest particulates can work their way deep into the lungs. The gradual buildup of pollutants has been linked to lung disease, heart disease and even cancer.