Indoor air quality and health

Northerners spend a significant amount of time indoors, especially during the winter months. The quality of the air inside your home can affect your health and wellbeing.

Indoor air quality can change because of activities in the home, building materials, heating systems, moisture and outdoor conditions such as wildfire smoke.

This page explains common indoor air quality concerns and steps you can take to improve the air in your home.

Recognize the effects of poor indoor air quality

Poor indoor air quality can affect people in different ways.

Common symptoms include:

  • dry or irritated eyes
  • dry or irritated nose and throat
  • skin irritation
  • headaches
  • fatigue
  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • nasal congestion
  • dizziness
  • nausea
  • shortness of breath
  • allergic reactions

These symptoms often improve when you leave the space or improve indoor air quality through cleaning, ventilation or repairs.

If you experience severe symptoms, call 8-1-1 or visit your local health centre. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room or health centre.

Improve indoor air quality

There are three basic ways to improve indoor air quality:
  1. Control the source
  2. Improve ventilation and air circulation
  3. Clean the air

Control the source

The most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to remove or reduce indoor sources of pollution.

Make your home smoke-free

Smoke and vapour from cigarettes and e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, contain chemicals that affect indoor air quality.

What you can do

  • Do not smoke indoors.
  • Do not allow smoking inside your home. 
Prevent emissions from attached garages

Vehicle exhaust and emissions from gas-powered equipment, generators, and barbecues can enter your home from an attached garage.

What you can do

  • Avoid idling vehicles inside garages.
  • Do not operate fuel-burning equipment inside garages.
Reduce air pollution from cooking

Cooking can release particles, gases, and moisture into the air. Frying generally produces more particles, while gas stoves can release gases and very small particles.

What you can do

  • Use your range hood when cooking.
  • Use back burners when possible.
  • Open a nearby window when outdoor air quality is good and weather permits.

For more information, visit:

Address mould and moisture problems

Water leaks, moisture buildup and high humidity can lead to mould growth.

What you can do

  • Repair water leaks promptly.
  • Control indoor humidity.
  • Improve ventilation where possible.

For more information, visit:

Maintain heating equipment

Fuel-burning appliances can release smoke, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants.

This includes:

  • wood stoves
  • furnaces
  • fireplaces
  • water heaters

What you can do

  • Follow manufacturer maintenance instructions.
  • Have fuel-burning equipment inspected regularly by a qualified professional.
  • Have chimneys and flues inspected regularly.
  • Install certified carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.

Ensure you have at least one working certified carbon monoxide alarm in your home near any sleeping area(s).

Reduce pollutants during renovations

Building materials and products can release contaminants such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, and asbestos.

What you can do

  • Increase ventilation during painting, cleaning and renovation activities.
  • Follow product safety instructions.
  • Use products in well-ventilated areas whenever possible.

For more information, visit:

Improve ventilation and air circulation

Proper ventilation can help improve indoor air quality by reducing indoor air pollutants, controlling moisture, and increasing air circulation.

You can improve ventilation by:
  • leave interior doors open to allow air to flow through the home
  • open windows and exterior doors when outdoor air quality is good and weather permits
  • during periods of good outdoor air quality, use bathroom fans and kitchen range hoods to help circulate or exchange air.
  • use one or more fans to circulate indoor air
  • keep baseboards or heating vents clear of furniture
  • keep beds, bedding and furniture away from outside walls to allow enough air and heat to flow around furnishings
  • use a mechanical HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system in your home with a filtration system built into the ductwork
  • replace or clean the filters of your air equipment, including your furnace, as per the manufacturer's instructions
  • during periods of poor outdoor air quality, reduce air entering the home from outside by closing windows

Clean the air

Portable air cleaners, also called air purifiers, can help improve indoor air quality by filtering and removing small particles and air contaminants from the air.

For more information, including tips for choosing an air cleaner visit Using a portable air cleaner to improve indoor air (Government of Canada).

Do-it-Yourself (DIY) air cleaners, such as box fans with high-efficiency filters (e.g. MERV 13 or HEPA), are more affordable and effective alternatives to improve indoor air quality. For more information on how to make a DIY air cleaner visit The BREATHE Project: DIY Air Cleaners (BC Lung Foundation).

Wildfire smoke and poor outdoor air quality can also affect indoor air quality. Learn how to create a cleaner and cooler air space in your home.

Find additional resources

Updated: Aug 11, 2026