Air quality coverage is almost entirely about outdoor air, which is a strange emphasis given that the large majority of your breathing happens inside a building. If you are auditing what your lungs handle, indoor air is the dominant input.
What is in it
Combustion products. Gas hobs and ovens produce nitrogen dioxide, and in kitchens without effective extraction the concentrations can be substantial during cooking. This is one of the better-documented indoor exposures and one of the easiest to reduce.
Particulate from cooking. Frying and high-heat cooking generate fine particles regardless of fuel. An electric hob still produces cooking aerosol.
Volatile organic compounds. Cleaning products, paints, solvents, adhesives in new furniture, air fresheners and scented candles all release VOCs. "Smells clean" and "is clean" are unrelated properties.
Biological material. Dust mite allergen in soft furnishings, pet dander, and mould where damp has been left unaddressed.
Radon, in some regions — a naturally occurring gas that accumulates in basements and lower floors, and the reason radon test kits exist. Worth checking once if you are in an affected area.
The fixes, ranked by what they achieve
- Ventilate while cooking. Use the extractor if it vents outside, open a window if it does not. Highest return of anything on this list.
- Fix damp early. Mould is a source that grows. Addressing the water problem beats treating the surface repeatedly.
- Change HVAC filters on schedule. A filter past its life is not filtering; it is decorating the duct.
- Run a HEPA purifier where you actually sit. Sizing matters more than brand — match the unit's clean air delivery rate to the room. One good unit in the bedroom beats three underpowered ones spread around the house.
- Cut the scented products. Air fresheners, plug-ins and scented candles add VOCs to solve a problem better fixed by ventilation.
- Keep humidity between 30 and 50 percent. Below that, mucus thickens; above it, mould thrives.
What your body does about it
A great deal, without being asked. The nose filters and humidifies, the mucus layer traps what gets past, and cilia sweep the whole load back out continuously. Ordinary indoor exposure is well within what that system handles. It gets overwhelmed by sustained high concentrations, and it is damaged directly by smoking — which is why smokers fare worse on bad air days than non-smokers in the same room.
Where supplements sit
Below every item on the list above. No supplement filters your air. A closed window, a working extractor fan and a correctly sized HEPA unit do more for what reaches your alveoli than anything you can swallow — and any product implying otherwise has told you how much to trust the rest of its claims.
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