Everything you ever wanted to know about indoor air quality, but were afraid to ask...
Table Of Contents
About this Guide
Introduction
About this Guide
Chapter 1
Why Indoor Air Quality Matters
Chapter 2
Indoor Air Quality and Human Health
Chapter 3
Sources of Indoor Pollutants
Chapter 4
Efficacy and Application of Air Purifiers
Glossary
Jargon & Assorted Big Words
Introduction
About this Guide
Written by Brett Stinson on January 15, 2026
Welcome to The Mila Air’cylopedia, a comprehensive guide to understanding how indoor air quality affects health, comfort, and well-being. Drawing on hundreds of scientific studies, this resource distills decades of research into clear, evidence-based insights about the processes, pollutants, and technologies that shape the air we breathe indoors.
It begins by examining the impacts of degraded indoor air quality on human health, then explores the biological, behavioral, and environmental factors that determine exposure. Later chapters turn to the science behind and performance of portable air purifiers and air quality sensors, providing practical guidance on selecting devices and interpreting data. Closing chapters offer an inside look at Mila’s approach to air cleaning, uniting research, design, and user experience to create healthier indoor environments.
Each chapter focuses on a key dimension of indoor air, organized into clear sections and subsections for easy navigation. Every page includes a glossary that defines essential terms and abbreviations in plain language, making complex ideas digestible. These features make The Mila Air’cylopedia both a scientific reference and practical companion for understanding and improving the quality of the air we breathe.
Why We Wrote This
Most people spend nearly 90% of their time indoors — yet indoor air quality remains widely misunderstood. Research is often technical, fragmented across disciplines, or hidden behind paywalls. At the same time, consumer marketing around air purification can oversimplify or exaggerate claims.
We created The Mila Air’cylopedia to bridge that gap.
Our goal is simple: bring rigorous science into plain language without watering it down. We believe better air decisions start with better information — and that transparency builds trust. This guide reflects our commitment to grounding product design, performance claims, and customer education in credible research.
The Topics We Cover
The Mila Air’cylopedia is organized into five core areas:
- Health Impacts of Indoor Air:
How particulate matter, gases, allergens, and biological contaminants affect respiratory, cardiovascular, and cognitive health. - Exposure & Human Behavior:
How time spent indoors, building design, ventilation patterns, and occupant behavior influence real-world exposure. - Pollutants & Indoor Chemistry:
The science behind PM2.5, VOCs, carbon monoxide, humidity, mold, and secondary chemical reactions that occur inside buildings. - Air Cleaning & Sensing Technology:
How HEPA filtration works, what CADR measures (and what it doesn’t), sensor limitations, and how to interpret air quality data. - Mila’s Approach:
How we apply performance modeling, real-world data, and user-centered design to build air purifiers that reflect how people actually live — not how labs operate.
The Articles We Cite
This guide draws from peer-reviewed research in environmental health, aerosol science, building science, and epidemiology, as well as guidance from public health institutions including the CDC, WHO, and ASHRAE.
Where possible, we link directly to primary sources so readers can review the original research themselves. When findings are debated or evolving, we note that context clearly. Science is a process, and we strive to honor that process.
About the Author
The Mila Aircyclopedia was written by Brett Stinson, Mila’s resident Indoor Air Quality Research Scientist and a PhD researcher in mechanical engineering at Portland State University.
His work focuses on how airborne pollutants move and persist in real-world indoor environments—from homes and schools to wildfire smoke events. As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Healthy Buildings Research Laboratory, Brett studies both gas- and particle-phase pollution, along with practical interventions that improve indoor air quality and human health.
He partnered with the Mila team to translate this research into something more useful and approachable—turning complex environmental science into insights that help you better understand and improve the air you breathe.
About Mila
Mila is an award-winning air care company founded by three dads on a mission to clear the world of airblivion. What started as a search for better air for our own families turned into a full-blown obsession with how indoor air actually works.
We build air purifiers that combine top-notch filtration, real-time environmental sensing, and smart software that helps you see what’s happening in your air — and do something about it. Serious performance. Thoughtful design. No lab-only tricks. And priced so clean air isn’t a luxury product.
The Mila Air’cylopedia reflects that same mindset. It’s science-first, fluff-free, and built for curious air breathers who want to understand what they’re breathing.
