The Hidden Air Problem in Rural Homes (And How Corn-Based Filters Fix It)

Living in rural areas brings many unique advantages, but also hazards all its own. Farming is often cited as one of the most dangerous professions, with agriculture consistently ranking among the highest-risk industries for serious and fatal injuries (NIOSH, BLS Data). Just living in rural areas with difficult transportation options can be risky, especially in bad weather, when emergency care may be far away.

One major threat that may be overlooked, however, is air quality—particularly indoor air quality. One of the blessings of country living is freedom from the soot and other pollution of urban environments, but country air has its own unique challenges, and they seldom gain priority over their city counterparts.

Air pollution is a leading cause of illness, fatigue, and even premature death. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to heart and lung disease, as well as increased mortality (EPA). It may surprise many people to know that indoor air is typically more polluted than outdoor air; multiple EPA-backed studies show that indoor levels of several common pollutants can be 2–5 times higher than outdoor levels (CPSC / EPA).

Much of that indoor pollution comes from very ordinary things: carpets, paints, furniture, people, pets, and cooking. On top of that, the outdoor air that eventually becomes indoor air carries the signature of its environment.

On the farm, these sources include livestock, pollen from crops and wild plants, dust, fertilizer and chemical residue, and even environmental toxins carried on the winds for thousands of miles. Agricultural safety experts have long documented that farm air contains a mix of organic dusts, molds, gases, and chemical vapors that pose respiratory risks (Penn State Extension, NIOSH Agricultural Respiratory Disease Overview). Even dust from fine gravel roads is a significant contributor to poor indoor air quality and to the respiratory problems it can cause (NIH Road Dust Study).

Studies show that rural children—like urban children—can be more than 50% more likely to develop asthma and other severe respiratory conditions compared with some suburban populations (Rural Health Research Center). Anyone who has ever scooped moldy corn or sorted hogs in the fine dust of a hog lot knows how acute these reactions can be. Air-quality hazards are a chronic risk to the rural lifestyle, and proper ventilation and filtration are the keys to managing it (EPA Indoor Air Quality Basics).

Another major challenge to rural living is a consequence of our success in growing the world’s most abundant crops: we need more markets and innovative ways to capitalize on our productivity, to expand the rural economy and protect our legacy for future generations. Aerterra air filters support that mission. They help protect farm families from the hazards they endure to feed the planet, and they are made with polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer derived entirely from corn.

PLA is produced by fermenting corn-based sugars into lactic acid and converting that into a versatile polymer (PLA Overview, Nebraska Corn Board). Most conventional HVAC filters are made from polyester or micro-fiberglass, which are petroleum-based, non-renewable, and can linger in landfills for decades or even centuries.

Not only does the PLA in Aerterra Filters come entirely from American corn, but the subsequent manufacturing stages—fiber formation, carding, nanofiber coating, and assembly—are all value-added manufacturing steps that support jobs in the rural economy (DOE Corn-Based Polymer Report).

Cleaner air, more corn, value-added manufacturing—this is the Aerterra Filters formula for healthy homes and vibrant rural communities.