Breathing the Air Indoors

[Guest guest]

Breathing the Air Indoors

by Miriam Landman

http://www.greenhome.com/info/articles/health_and_safety/2/

 

 

Think about how you spend your days: working, studying, playing, shopping,

sleeping. Now think about where you spend your days. Most of us spend at

least 80% of our time indoors, and that percentage increases during the

winter. So how these indoor environments make us feel really matters.

 

While we usually think of air pollution as an outdoor phenomenon, the

Environmental Protection Agency has found that indoor-air quality is often

five times worse - and can be more than 100 times worse - than the air

outdoors. In the mid-1980s, the World Health Organization determined that

as many as 30% of buildings worldwide have poor indoor-air quality, causing

" sick building syndrome " symptoms.

 

In the past, concern about indoor pollutants centered on the long-term

diseases caused by cigarette smoke and by radon, asbestos and lead

exposure. While these are still serious issues, health officials have

become aware of a broader range of common indoor pollutants.

 

In many buildings, bad air is often the result of a buildup of fungi, mold

and bacteria, which can cause everything from asthma attacks to the deadly

Legionnaire's disease. In addition to these biological hazards, various

building materials, finishes, furnishings, office equipment, heating

systems and household products can create a toxic smog in our dwellings.

Some building finishes and furnishings release, or " off-gas, " volatile

organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, benzene

and toluene - known or suspected carcinogens. Some electronic office

equipment off-gasses ozone. Gas heaters and stoves release carbon monoxide.

 

Here are some examples of materials and products that are prime sources of

indoor air pollution:

 

* Building materials: treated wood products such as particle board,

adhesives

* Finishes: paint, carpeting

* Furnishings: upholstery fabrics

* Office equipment: copiers, printers, fax machines

* Heating systems: gas heaters and stoves

* Household products: cleaners, detergents, pesticides, air

fresheners, perfumes and even those stinky dry-erase markers

 

Fumes from these materials typically do not make people sick in structures

with good air flow. The energy crisis of the 1970s prompted construction of

tightly sealed buildings with windows that cannot be opened, and inadequate

ventilation. While this did help to conserve energy, it also contributed to

the indoor air-quality problems we have today. Ventilation standards have

since been raised, but the air quality in your home, school or office may

still be poor.

 

Short of having an indoor-air-quality specialist do an assessment of the

buildings where you live and work, here are some things you can do to

safeguard your health:

 

* Open the windows from time to time to get some outside air flowing

through the rooms.

* Consider using an air purification system.

* When using paint or chemical products, or bringing new furniture or

materials into the building, allow the rooms to air out for a day before

occupying them.

* When you're doing renovation work or interior decorating, look for

formaldehyde-free particleboard and carpeting and VOC-free paints and

adhesives.

* If you're ready to replace your carpet, consider switching to wood

or linoleum flooring, since carpets make great habitat for bacteria and mold.

* Keep office equipment, such as copiers and printers, away from the

area where you spend the most time.

* Make sure that your heating, ventilation and cooling systems get

routine maintenance, such as filter replacement.

* Remove any water-damaged carpeting and ceiling tiles.

* Use a carbon-monoxide detector.

* Keep paints, adhesives, cleaning products and pesticides in

well-ventilated areas away from your main living quarters.

* Reduce or eliminate your use of chemical cleaning products, air

fresheners, pesticides and other chemical products.

* Buy indoor plants, such as the spider plant and golden pothos, which

absorb carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from the air.