Our bodies are constantly exposed to different forms of air pollution, both outside and inside buildings.
To ensure a healthy housing environment, in Portugal or anywhere else, it is essential to understand the origins of these pollutions and adopt effective measures to reduce them.
OUTDOOR AIR
- Vehicle emissions and fuel evaporation
- Vegetative particles (such as pollen)
- Burning of fossil fuels
INDOOR AIR
- Building materials (insulations, waterproofing, etc.)
- Varnishes and finishes of furniture
- Chemical substances in cleaning products
- Excessive humidity levels
- Carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration
How to ensure healthy housing in Portugal
To ensure good indoor air quality, it is essential to renew the air through an appropriate ventilation system. There are several possible solutions, which vary depending on the climate and the needs of the building. This renewal can be done through mechanical ventilation (simple or dual) or natural ventilation (such as Canadian or Provencal wells, open windows, or wind towers). Each of these options is explained in detail in another section.
To create a healthy indoor environment, it is best to minimize pollution sources by adopting a preventive approach. This includes selecting eco-friendly materials and products free from varnishes and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and choosing natural and appropriate building materials.
It is recommended to use structural insulating materials, such as hollow brick or autoclaved aerated concrete, which already have integrated thermal properties, eliminating the need for additional insulation. However, this solution is more suitable for new constructions or extensions.
In cases of renovation, when it is not possible to use these materials, traditional insulations should be used.
In addition to ensuring a healthy housing, it is crucial to reduce the environmental impact of construction. This can be achieved by following certain criteria in material selection, such as:
- Embodied energy in the manufacturing process
- Associated CO₂ emissions
- Recyclability at the end of the product life
- Sustainable management of raw materials (crops and plantations used in production)
- Impact of materials on human health (glues, solvents, insulations, etc.)
There are various environmental labels and safety data sheets that assist in the selection of eco-friendly and healthy materials — consult the full list here.
Non-renewable embodied energy of some materials (kWh/m³)
CO₂ emissions from different insulating materials with the same thermal performance level (kg eq. CO₂/m²)