People spend 80% of their time indoors. We breathe normally about 10 times a minute. Multiply that times 1440 minutes a day. This comes to over 14,000 breaths each day of quality air. If we can survive for a week without food or water yet barely four minutes without breathing, indoor air quality is not a subtle point.

Respiratory problems are at an all time high. Note: Liability is a major Business concern. Indoor air pollution is considered a major environmental problem. Allergies in children are growing at an alarming rate. It is believed this is due to early exposure to allergens, a significant part of indoor air pollution.

How do you know if you have an indoor Air Quality problem? Using this simple test is arguably cheapest, reliable test that you can use.

This simple test will help you identify specific air quality problems (if they exist) that some air purifiers are just not designed to eliminate.

Known air contaminants exist in three categories.

(1) Particulate or dust

(2) Gases - odors, and

(3) Microbial (bacteria and mold)

Most homeowners and business owners do use air filters. And they do a fair to good job on (1) dusts in air. However, they usually pay no attention to (2) gases or (3) airborne microbes. Why? They aren’t designed for it.

This information is presented as a resource. The purpose is to help you spend very little money and maybe no money on wrong air purifier AND help you reliably test air that you and your family breathe. This guide will also help you evaluate results of that test.

For purpose of these tests, microbial growth is defined as aerobic bacteria, molds, and yeast.

The main tool in all three types of testing is Petri Dish. What is a Petri Dish? The Petri Dishes are sterile covered plastic dishes with a nutrient rich media placed inside on which microbes will readily grow. These are available in kit form for about $15 or so. You can make your own kit.