How Can You Tell if your Home’s Air Contains Pollutants?

To answer right away....you just don't know.  You don't know, but doing some investigating in and around your home and using your 5 senses, you should be able to determine if it does.

I've did some research and came up with a 30-point checklist that highlights the typical sources of indoor air pollution in the average home. You can use it to decide whether or not your home is likely to be experiencing air quality issues.

If you check off any of the following "opportunities", the chances are good that your home could use some indoor air remedial action. The more checks you make on your list, the greater that action likely needs to be and the faster it probably should happen.

If you didn't check off any opportunities, that indicates your home is probably free of indoor air quality problems, but it’s wise to adopt a few principles of healthy precaution to keep things that way!
1. Does my home have unusual and/or lingering odors?
2. Does my home regularly have stale or stuffy air?
3. Is my central heating and cooling equipment dirty or not working properly?
4. Does anyone in my household suffer frequent colds, allergies, respiratory problems, or burning eyes?
5. Does my home regularly experience high humidity?
6. Are mold or mildew present in any room?
7. Does anyone in my house smoke indoors or do I regularly have guests who smoke indoors?
8. Does my basement have a radon problem?
9. Is my fireplace or woodstove malfunctioning or improperly vented?
10. Does my home typically accumulate a lot of dust that requires regular removal?
11. Do I use any synthetic chemical household cleaners?
12. Do I use any room deodorizers and/or air freshening products?
13. Do I use hair spray or other synthetic personal care products, especially spray products, perfumes, and nail polish supplies?
14. Do I use any pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or other poisons inside or outside my home?
15. Has my home been recently painted or have any furnishings been recently painted or varnished?
16. Is my home weatherized or otherwise sealed tightly to conserve energy?
17. Does my home contain any ceiling panels, acoustic ceiling tiles, or similar products?
18. Does my home contain any decorative wallpaper less than one year old?
19. Has my home been remodeled or added onto in the last two years?
20. Does my home contain any new furniture or carpeting less than one year old?
21. Has my home had any furniture or fixtures like cabinetry added to it in the past two years that are made from pressed or composite
    woods?
22. Do I use kerosene or other non-electric space heaters?
23. Does anyone in the house engage in hobbies or other activities that make frequent use of adhesives like rubber cement or model glue,
    strippers, finishes, paints, wood fillers, etc.?
25. Do I have any textile product labeled permanent press, easy-care, wrinkle-free, flame-resistant, etc. that are less than one year old?
26. Does my home contain any synthetic foams?
27. Do I use dry cleaning services regularly?
28. Is my home located on or near any heavily traveled roads?
29. Are any of my home’s various flue pipes, vents, or chimneys damaged in any way?
30. Does my home contain any copy machines or computer laser printers?

You can Sweeten the Quality of the Air you Breathe in your Home

If you have long-lasting health issues such as allergies or asthma, or even mild ones, like a sore throat or cough, it might be due to pollutants that are hovering in the air within your house. These symptoms should not be ignored or put up with. If you have a cold that just doesn’t want  to go away, allergies that are triggered when you get home, or frequent headaches and fatigue, you may be suffering from the effects of indoor air pollution that result from “sick building syndrome.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people spend as much as 90 percent of their time inside, and health risks from air pollution may be even greater indoors than outside.

Cleaning supplies, paints and lacquers, pesticides, stove heaters and even furniture and carpets can cause indoor air pollution. Possible health effects of poor indoor air quality can range from an annoying stuffy nose to lung cancer. But, I have good news for you. Unlike outdoor pollution, indoor air  pollution is something you can control. With some simple precautions and proper maintenance, you can significantly reduce, or actually get rid of, sources of indoor air pollution in your home.

Invisible poisons, microscopic critters and VOCs

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that’s released when uranium in the dirt or rock under your house naturally breaks down. Radon then  enters the home through dirt floors, cracks in concrete walls and floors, floor drains and sumps. The EPA estimates that radon is the cause of about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. Test your home. It's easy and inexpensive. Kits are available at your local hardware store. If testing reveals a radon problem in your home, hire a trained contractor who will explore your minimization choices.

Carbon Monoxide is invisible, odorless and potentially lethal when concentrated. Even at minimal concentrations, CO can cause impaired vision and affect coordination leading to headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea and flu-like symptoms that most likely clear up after you leave your house. In order to prevent carbon monoxide from harming your health, keep furnaces, gas ranges as well as water heaters  in good working order, having annual professional checkups. It is best to also install a carbon-monoxide detector near your bedrooms.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are produced as gases given off from certain solids or liquids, include fresh paint, new carpets, new furniture, wood adhesives, cleaning products, pesticides and dry-cleaning chemicals. According to the EPA, concentration levels of many VOCs can be up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. Inhaling these airborne chemicals can cause eye irritation, headaches or nausea, as well lead to long-term effects involving liver, kidney or central nervous system damage. Some VOCs have been established as causing cancer in humans.

Carefully read the labelled instructions on high-VOC products and make sure you ventilate the area of use and then store carefully, especially away from food or related products. Switch to natural cleaning products such as lemon juice, boric acid, baking soda and vinegar, and utilize pump products instead of aerosols.

Pesticides are another toxic pollutants that most of us don't take serious enough. Even when used outdoors, they can drift inside...or tracked on in the house on shoes and boots. They can cause eye irritation, affect the throat...can even increase the chances of cancer. Your body's central nervous system and kidneys could be also at risk . Avoid using  any chemical or artificial pesticides. Replace them with disease-resistant plants and washing their leaves frequently. Keep a healthy lawn by fertilizing naturally and  watering and aerating to eliminate or significantly reduce the need for chemical pesticides.

, ,