The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published a report looking at the effects of air pollution on health – with national newspapers publicising the results.
Here, Rob Dennis, product marketing executive at Airflow Developments discusses why reports such as this are helping to highlight the importance of air quality and how Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems can provide an effective solution.
‘Every Breathe We Take: the lifelong impact of air pollution’, outlines the dangers of air pollution and its long-term effects on a person’s health and the environment. Worryingly, the report warns around 40,000 deaths per year in the UK are attributable to air pollution, with major health conditions such as cancer, asthma, heart disease and obesity also being linked to air pollutant exposure.
While it is a positive step that the harmful effects of outdoor air pollution are being globally recognised, it is equally important to focus efforts on how we can effectively combat Toxic Home Syndrome – which is where a persons’ health deteriorates as a result of air pollutants within the home. Considering we spend on average 90% of our time indoors, it is critical homes are supplied with fresh, healthy air all year round.
Ventilation systems that can extract stale air and filter in clean, unpolluted air while lowering the energy expenditure of our properties are the logical solution.
MVHR systems take humid, dank air from inside a property and extract heat energy from it via a heat exchanger, which then works to pre-warm clean, fresh air that is constantly brought in from outside and circulated within the building. This process recovers heat that would typically be lost as part of the ventilation process – reducing energy costs for homeowners.
Manufacturers should be able to provide installers with a wide range of MVHR solutions that meet the specific requirements of each property. For example, Airflow Developments has released its Internet capable Adroit MVHR range, which is able to extract up to 320 m3/hr @ 100 Pa. The smart units also incorporate low energy/noise EC fans and a 100% bypass facility to ensure internal comfort levels are maximised.
The units also encompass intelligent humidity and carbon dioxide sensors to help monitor indoor temperature, carbon dioxide and humidity levels.
The smart units are equipped with the latest interactive technology to provide homeowners with real-time monitoring and control of indoor air environments. Once registered to the Adroit Cloud Service, the air flow settings of the unit can be controlled via a computer or portable device. Additionally, the units are designed with four different profiles to choose from – Home, Away, Boost or Fireplace function. This means homeowners can programme the units according to their personal routines – reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
The report published by the RCP and the RCPCH is an important stepping-stone in raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution and poor indoor air quality on health. With properties becoming increasingly hermetically sealed it is critical highly-effective, energy efficient ventilation solutions such as Airflow’s Adroit MVHR range are in place to prevent building fabric from disrepair and ensure homeowners are fully protected against harmful condensation, mould growth and other airborne pollutants.
As part of an all-round professional service, installers must recognise whether a property requires effective ventilation and highlight the dangers of Toxic Home Syndrome to the homeowner.