According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 92 percent of the world population breathe polluted air,¹ and about 7 million deaths are attributed to air pollution each year.² Overall, a toxic environment is responsible for at least 1 of every 4 deaths reported worldwide,³ and air pollution is the greatest contributor to this risk. Your body is dependent on the air you breathe and poor air quality can cause serious damage to your lungs, heart and other organ systems.

According to WHO, air pollution is a major contributor to lung and respiratory infections, heart disease and cancer. What many fail to consider is that indoor air pollution may actually be as dangerous, or more, than outdoor air pollution.

For starters, indoor air is often more contaminated to begin with. If you’re like most, you also spend far more time indoors than out. Sociological studies suggest Americans spend nearly 92 percent of their day indoors. Of the remaining 8 percent, only 2 percent is spent in the open outdoors; 6 percent is spent in transit between home and work.⁴

This means your indoor air quality is really important to your long-term health. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has noted that indoor air pollution is one of the top public health risks you face on a daily basis.⁵ According to the EPA, the level of air pollution in your home can be two to five times higher than outside, and some of the pollutants you breathe can be as much as 100 times more concentrated indoors.⁶