Indoor Air Quality Services in Southern and Central Maine

Maine Radon & Environmental eliminates indoor pollutants that threaten your family's health

5 Danger Levels of Indoor Air Quality

Listed below are levels of air quality ranked in terms of danger to you and your family. For every level of danger, there is a proven solution to minimize health risks.

Maine Radon & Environmental is Southern and Central Maine's local National Radon Defense contractor, which means that we are trained and certified in eliminating threats to indoor air quality, including radon gas and a number of other pollutants. Our team undergoes lengthy training that not only ensures they understand the ins and outs of indoor air quality, but also ensures they are able to educate our customers about all things indoor air quality. Potential indoor air risks are categorized in 5 Danger Levels according to the Environmental Protection Agency's analysis.

At Maine Radon & Environmental, we skillfully measure and mitigate radon levels. Even better, we have solutions to decrease risk at each of the five danger levels, including allergens, mold spores, chemical pollutants, particles, and high humidity.

When you reach out to us for concerns about air quality in your Portland home, our specialists will inform you about your overall indoor air quality. If you require further action to improve your air quality, our professionals can install an indoor air cleaner, dehumidifier system, or a combination of solutions.

Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment. Our services are available throughout Maine, including Portland, Windham, Brunswick, and beyond.

Learn how indoor air pollutants impact your home, including dust and radon

With dangerous gases being the most serious, there are five levels indicating the danger of each air pollutant. Take a few minutes to review each level, thinking about how each level applies to your home. To help inform you about each level, we have also created short videos.

Danger Level 5: Dangerous Gases

Carbon monoxide and radon can be found in countless homes across the United States and are potentially deadly pollutants. About one in fifteen homes in the U.S. has elevated levels of radon gas. What's worse, these gases are tasteless, odorless, and invisible, making them impossible to detect without a professional. Radon gas is produced when uranium in soil and rock naturally decays. It can enter the home through penetrations and cracks in slabs and foundations.

When fuel-burning appliances--including boilers, furnaces, water heaters, and wood stoves--malfunction, they can produce carbon monoxide (CO). Other sources of CO are outdoor power equipment and idling automobiles.

Every year, carbon monoxide and radon are the cause of thousands of deaths in the United States and Canada. 15,000 to 21,000 people die due to radon-caused lung cancer in the United States alone.

Danger Level 4: Microbial Growth

Different fungi, such as mildew and mold, can lead to a vast array of illnesses. Microscopic spores are produced as micro-organisms grow, traveling on air currents from their origin to every area in the home. These pollutants are so tiny that they easily and unknowingly enter your lungs as you inhale.

People who are sensitive to these pollutants experience reactions that range from mild to severe. Symptoms include shortness of breath, skin irritation, wheezing, nasal stuffiness, asthma flares, and nose and throat irritation. Exposure to excessive mold has been linked to the development of asthma in children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is an elevated risk of opportunistic fungal infections for immunocompromised folks and people with chronic lung diseases.

Danger Level 3: Allergens & Particulates

Pollen, dust, pet dander, smoke (tobacco and wood), insect debris, and vehicle exhaust are all common allergens and particulates. The health impacts of these air pollutants are as follows: congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, asthma flares, runny noses, and nose and throat irritation. What's more, particulates in the air substantially increase the danger of radon gas because gas particles can attach to dust and smoke particles. From there, they are often inhaled and lodge themselves in lung tissue.

Luckily, Maine Radon & Environmental has strategies for reducing particulates and allergies, which include dehumidification and the installation of an electronic air filter or energy recovery ventilator in existing HVAC systems.

Danger Level 2: Infectious Illnesses

Airborne viruses and bacteria also fall under the category of indoor air pollution. Family members, visitors, and pets carry contaminants like these into the home. Infectious diseases can include either viral diseases such as RSV, pneumonia, SARS, and common cold viruses, or bacterial diseases like pneumococcus, tuberculosis, and streptococcus. The impacts linked to this danger level are upper respiratory issues, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear and throat infections. Fortunately, Maine Radon & Environmental's highly-effective air filtration solutions can decrease the presense of bacteria and viruses in your home.

Danger Level 1: Toxic Compounds

When homes become more energy efficient and tighter, concentrations of toxic compounds can accumulate and lead to negative health outcomes. Furniture, carpets, paints, solvents, personal care products, cleaning chemicals, and building materials can generate these toxic compounds inside the home. However, they can also be carried into the home from outside. For example, pesticides can be tracked into the home on the paws of pets or on shoes. Dry-cleaned clothes are carried in on hangers. Toxic compounds include benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, acetone, and countless other carcinogens. Being briefly exposed to these pollutants can result in blurred vision, lethargy, headaches, mild depression, lung dysfunction, and lapses in memory. When you are exposed to high levels of these compounds for a long time, your kidneys, liver, and nervous system can be affected, potentially causing cancer.

Schedule a radon test today

Are you concerned about radon or other indoor air quality issues? Learn more about radon testing and when it is appropriate to have a radon mitigation system installed.

Give us a call at 1-207-742-8390 or fill out our free estimate form to schedule an appointment for radon testing. We are the trusted radon mitigation company in Scarborough, Lewiston, South Portland, Auburn, Biddeford, Saco, Westbrook and surrounding areas of Maine.

Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.