In 2009, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found a significant correlation between rising levels of air pollution in homes and the severity of asthma symptoms among children. Eight years after that research, several studies revealed that poor indoor air quality continues to produce adverse effects on children with asthma.

1. Legacy Heating and Air, Inc.
22285 Elkhart East Blvd., Elkhart, Indiana 46514
(574) 293-8444
Studies Say Indoor Air
Pollution Increases
Asthma Symptoms
Among Children

2. In 2009, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found a significant correlation
between rising levels of air pollution in homes and the severity of asthma
symptoms among children. Eight years after that research, several studies
revealed that poor indoor air quality continues to produce adverse effects on
children with asthma.
Initial Take on Poor Indoor Air Quality
The Johns Hopkins University research followed a group of asthmatic children
in Baltimore, Maryland. The children spent nearly 80% of their time at home
and yet they developed more symptoms of asthma. So, the researchers looked
at the air concentrations of both fine and coarse particles in the children’s
homes. The results revealed that a high level of harmful indoor air particles
had increased the children’s asthma symptoms. The findings of this research
have encouraged homeowners to maintain good indoor air quality through
regular HVAC maintenance.

3. Forty Times More Harmful than Outdoor Pollution
Despite the warning of the Johns Hopkins University research and other initial
studies, many homeowners have failed to take care of their HVAC systems. In
turn, most homes in America today still suffer from poor air quality, resulting
in more children developing asthma symptoms. With that, other researchers
looked at the topic of indoor air pollution again.
One study compared different factors of air pollution and concluded that indoor
pollution could be 40 times more harmful than the outdoor pollution. The
factors include the quality of the air ducts, air conditioning systems, and other
HVAC products that homeowners install these days, as well as how often they
clean and inspect these systems. This study also stated that the people that
suffer the most from excessive indoor air pollution are those who have weaker
lungs, such as older people, children, and asthmatic people.

4. Sources:
 http://www.legacyheatingandairinc.com/services/air-duct-cleaning/
 http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2009/breysse-indoor-
asthma.html
 https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/The-Inside-
Story-A-Guide-to-Indoor-Air-Quality
Government agencies like Department of Health & Human Services and
Consumer Product Safety Commission continue to remind homeowners about
the importance of a good indoor air quality. Families with small children need
to be more extra careful with their HVAC systems to ensure that their homes
are pollution-free at all times.