Chapter 14 – Indoor Air Quality

Some useful recommendations on how to ensure optimal indoor climate conditions come from the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine. Here are the guidelines formulated by S.I.M.A.:

• Monitor the microclimate conditions of your home, avoiding excessive temperatures and humidity levels.
• Ventilate rooms several times a day, at least 2-3 times for 5 minutes. If outdoor pollution is high, ventilation can be done just once a day, avoiding times of heavy traffic.
• Always use an extractor hood or fan in the kitchen to remove fumes, and air out the room after cooking. Fumes and combustion by-products are highly polluting.
• Schedule regular maintenance of air conditioning systems including filter replacement.
• Remove mold and condensation on walls immediately, dabbing the area with bleach.
• Avoid burning wood or biomass in fireplaces or stoves without proper pollutant-filtering systems, as this is harmful to both indoor and outdoor air quality.
• Do not smoke indoors: smoke pollutants cling to walls, objects, furniture, curtains, and upholstery.
• Limit the use of candles, especially scented ones, and incense sticks.
• Some houseplants like philodendrons or pothos, can help combat indoor toxins, but they release carbon dioxide at night. Additionally, some plants can be hazardous and must be kept out of children’s reach—such as Euphorbia pulcherrima (commonly known as the Christmas star or poinsettia), whose sap is highly irritating to skin and mucous membranes and toxic if ingested.