globally indoor air pollution is a major concern for people particularly in urban areas where pollution levels are typically higher according to the world health organisation who indoor air pollution causes around 43 million deaths annually making it a critical public health issue recently a study also revealed that air pollution a warm bedroom and high levels of carbon dioxide and ambient noise may all adversely affect our ability to get a good nights sleepwhat contributes to indoor air pollutionindoor air quality can be majorly impacted by outdoor air pollution home isnt always a safe haven and pollution can be generated indoors through daytoday activities enter the house from outside and emit from surfaces eventually making up a complex cocktail of pollutants as we increasingly seal our homes to seemingly shut pollution out in truth we may be shutting it inevery day we can breathe in up to 9000 litres of air1 and spend up to 90 of our time behind closed doors2 daily household activities such as cooking cleaning with cleaning solvents and using deodorants and scented candles are some of the more common indoor air pollutants other major indoor air pollutants can include mould allergens pollen and pet dander or formaldehyde from massproduced furniture how do indoor air pollutants vary in different roomsthe concentration of indoor air pollutants can vary across rooms in a home depending on the sources of pollution objects and human activitiesfor example bedrooms are typically smaller enclosed spaces compared to other areas in the home which can result in a higher concentration of indoor air pollutants especially if the room is poorly ventilated similarly in kitchens burning fuels such as gas or oil can release vocs as well as tiny particulates called pm25 which are emitted during combustion why is maintaining air quality in the bedroom importantwe spend onethird of our time sleeping making the bedroom where we spend most of our time therefore it is a unique area of the home in terms of indoor air pollution because of the amount of time that we spend in it and the types of pollutants that are typically present includingcleaning products many of us use cleaning products in the bedroom to clean carpets bedding and other surfaces these products can release volatile organic compounds vocs into the air indoor air pollutants we may be using scented candles to set the ambience in our space candles and other scented products like reed diffusers can emit volatile organic compounds vocs into the air a form of gas pollutionpet dander skin flakes known as pet dander can be an invisible source of indoor air pollution for those with pets how can air purifiers help maintain better indoor air qualitymaintaining a healthy indoor environment remains optimal to safeguard occupant wellbeing the amount of exposure to pollutants in our everyday lives can be managed and limited through air purifiers by placing an appropriate air purifier with accurate and efficient sensing capabilities harmful pollutants can be captured and destroyed thus