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Indoor air quality plays a critical role in health and well-being — a concept that has received urgent attention since the beginning of the pandemic.
Achieving a higher standard of indoor air quality generally involves several key measures, including improved ventilation, high-quality air filters, air purifiers, real-time air quality monitoring, effective occupancy and airflow management — and regular cleaning and disinfection to eliminate airborne irritants, allergens, and organic microbes. Each step serves to help control the many parameters that factor into indoor air quality (IAQ): temperature, humidity, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Since the onset of the pandemic, states have provided more and more funding to schools and other institutions to upgrade their HVAC and IAQ systems. Meanwhile, businesses have also adapted their practices to prioritize cleaner indoor air. Typically, this involves two chief strategies: capital improvements to HVAC and IAQ systems, and ongoing cleaning and disinfection practices.
This synergistic approach emphasizes the importance of immediate mechanical enhancements and improved sanitization practices, culminating in a healthier indoor environment.
VOCs are an ever-present problem
Ironically, some of the traditional cleaning and disinfection practices meant to create a healthier environment use solutions that increase the concentration of VOCs in a building. The dangers posed by VOCs are significant.
When VOCs enter forced air circulation systems, they can linger in the indoor environment, leading to a host of negative effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat — and in some cases, more severe respiratory problems. Prolonged exposure to VOCs has also been linked to chronic health issues, including headaches, dizziness, and even damage to vital organs. And because they easily vaporize at room temperature, VOCs are difficult to trap, contain, or mitigate.
VOCs aren’t just a concern for human health; they also have environmental implications. When released into the atmosphere, they contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and smog, which can harm both the environment and human health. In addition, some VOCs can react with other chemicals in the atmosphere to form harmful air pollutants.
Unfortunately, while the dangers of VOCs are well known, they’re still featured heavily in many commercial disinfection and sanitization processes. As building owners and facility managers upgrade their forced air systems and invest in AIQ initiatives, it’s important that they also scrutinize facility-cleaning practices and fight VOCs on two fronts.
HOCI contributes to safer air quality
Though owners and managers are responsible for their buildings and the people in them, few are equipped with the chemical expertise necessary to identify VOCs in their cleaning products. It’s fortunate that healthier, more sustainable solutions are readily available — and chief among them is hypochlorous acid (HOCI).
HOCl is a highly effective, yet wholly safe disinfectant. It mimics the natural acid human white blood cells produce to combat pathogens, making it an effective solution for eliminating germs, bacteria, and other organic pathogens within public spaces. In fact, it's safe for humans, nontoxic, and nonirritating, making it suitable for healthcare, schools, and commercial spaces. More importantly, it doesn’t have the lingering toxicity VOCs do.Â
ByoPlanet has perfected HOCl technology to deliver a stable, effective solution for powerful disinfection in commercial and school facilities. With a range of user-friendly products — from handheld sprayers to automated systems — we make it easy to enhance cleaning and disinfection practices and achieve the IAQ standards necessary in a post-COVID world.
Choose to breathe in a better air quality standard
HOCl is a safer alternative to traditional disinfectants that contain VOCs. Along with real-time IAQ monitoring – so that the VOC level is measured and the root cause mitigated -- ByoPlanet's HOCl technology promotes better indoor air quality without VOCs or compromised sanitization standards. It also aligns with sustainability goals, minimizing environmental impacts.
From micro to macro, HOCl contributes to a safer, healthier, and more sustainable indoor environment. In tandem with mechanical forced air improvements and mindful AIQ initiatives, it’s exactly what business owners and school officials need to make good on indoor air quality promises — today and beyond.
Learn more about HOCI and browse ByoPlanet products at byoplanet.com
