This draft strategy outlines the Government's ambitions to reduce air pollution, making our air healthier to breathe, protecting nature and boosting the economy, with the draft setting a clear direction for future air quality policies and goals. 

The strategy includes a section on ‘Action to reduce emissions in the home’ which gives simple, practical steps that households can take to reduce exposure, such as ensuring homes are adequately ventilated and making informed choices about the products they use. It also mentions a commitment to improve consumer awareness of the potential impacts of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and how this can significantly affect some people, while adding to everyone’s incremental exposure over their lifetime.

“The importance of clean air shouldn’t be underestimated and we are therefore pleased to see that this latest Government strategy addresses the significance of good indoor air quality and how effective ventilation is crucial in achieving this”, said Jenny Smith, marketing manager at Vent-Axia. “We have been working hard to improve indoor air quality by designing ventilation products that meet the demands of our increasingly airtight homes. We are also committed to sharing the importance of ventilation with households to help protect public health.”

The Clean Air Strategy follows hot on the heels of the chief medical officer's 2017 Annual Report Health Impacts of all Pollution, which stated: “Action to reduce pollution is action to prevent ill health.” With air pollution such an important public health issue, the strategy states how the Government aims to raise consumer awareness of the importance of good air quality. This is a welcome move since BEAMA’s recent ‘My Health My Home’ Indoor Air Pollution Survey cited that 70 per cent of people considered IAQ was at least as important as outdoor air quality, and three quarters of those surveyed thought poor IAQ could negatively affect their health and, if proven, should become a health priority for Government. 

The DEFRA Clean Air Strategy also points to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) posing a risk to health and states that there are a number of practical ways to reduce indoor air pollution from VOCs. This can be as simple as switching to lower VOC alternatives and ensuring that homes are well ventilated to avoid an accumulation of emissions from multiple sources. This is backed up by a recent US study published in Science in February 2018 which suggests that VOCs, contained in items such as cleaning products, cosmetics, pesticides, adhesives and printer ink, lead to substantial emissions of air pollutants and rival vehicle emissions. VOCs include a variety of chemicals which can have short and long-term adverse health effects, including lung damage.

To help protect health in the home, Vent-Axia has been working to provide ventilation solutions to improve IAQ for households. Designed to work with the natural air infiltration, continuous ventilation systems control the air path through the home, preventing the migration of damaging humidity and pollutants such as VOCs. 

For new builds, Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Kinetic mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system boasts an impressive 94 per cent thermal efficiency. For private refurbishments, Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon Svara offers quiet, disturbance-free running to help ensure good IAQ and comfort. Meanwhile, the Lo-Carbon Revive has been designed specifically with social housing in mind to offer an effective continuous ventilation solution for residents. 

Vent-Axia is supporting Clean Air Day, which takes place on June 21, and aims to raise awareness of the risks of air pollution and the simple things everyone can do to improve their air quality and health. Find out more here. 

The Clean Air Strategy consultation closes on August 14 2018.