What is formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a chemical that is released into the air as a pungent gas. It has a number of useful properties. It's a good preservative and makes an excellent adhesive. Therefore, it is used widely in the building and furnishings industries. It is also found in small amounts in some textiles as an anti-wrinkle agent.
What are the major sources of formaldehyde?
Particle board is the major contributor of formaldehyde to the home environment. The culprit is the adhesive, urea formaldehyde, which can break down, releasing the formaldehyde. Phenol formaldehyde (used in exterior panels) does not present problems. Some particleboard is now manufactured with reduced formaldehyde.
Other sources include interior plywood, veneered or laminated furniture and cabinets, some professionally applied furniture and floor finishes, paneling, permanent press fabrics (some drapes), combustion products and cosmetics.
What can I do to reduce formaldehyde problems?
Formaldehyde cannot penetrate plastic laminate and is at least partly blocked by coatings. Varnishes and special formaldehyde sealants are also available. Apply these coatings to all exposed edges and surfaces, such as the undersides of countertops, cabinet interiors and drawers.
Increase ventilation, particularly after bringing new sources of formaldehyde into the home. When remodeling and in new construction, select low formaldehyde materials. High humidity and elevated temperatures cause formaldehyde release, so you might want to control humidity through air conditioning and dehumidifiers.
Why should I be concerned about formaldehyde?
It is a strong irritant that causes watery eyes and in low doses, causes burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat. Wheezing and coughing, fatigue, skin rashes, headaches, loss of coordination and nausea are other symptoms. Larger doses can cause asthma attacks as well as damage to the liver, kidneys and the central nervous system. Some people are highly sensitive and react to formaldehyde concentrations that don't bother most people.
Formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, but there is limited evidence that it causes cancer in humans.
How can I detect whether my home has significant concentrations of formaldehyde?
You may be able to detect it by its odor. Also, environmental testing firms, listed in the Yellow Pages of the phone directory, should be able to test for formaldehyde levels. Since such tests are costly, you should learn whether your home has possible sources of formaldehyde. Also, do-it-yourself test kits are available, but there is some question about their accuracy.
It kills 20,000 people a year, and it's colorless and odorless—what is it?
Smoking rightfully takes the spotlight as the most menacing cause of lung cancer. Roughly 160,000 Americans die because of it annually. But there's another under-publicized threat that also tragically contributes to the lung cancer death toll.
It's radon.....a naturally occurring colorless, odorless gas. It's responsible for 20,000 deaths every year, according to the EPA. It's harder to hate radon... There are no big tobacco companies behind it, and no addictive product that creates it. In fact, radon can be found in some hot springs and spring water naturally. And the worst part is that the only way to tell if radon's a problem in your home is to specifically have it tested with home test kit or by hiring a specialist.
Doing radon tests can reveal whether your home has abnormally high levels, which is important because your house is the primary place where the gas collects. But have no fear. There are proven methods of reducing radon levels in your home. Just check in with the EPA, which has a reliable list of radon resources, and contacts to agencies that can test or fix your home.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/radon/
There are all kinds of types, shapes and sizes of air cleaners available to you. They range from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems. Some air cleaners are highly effective at particle removal, while others, including most table-top models, are much less effective. Most air cleaners do not remove gaseous pollutants.
The effectiveness of an air cleaner depends on how well it collects pollutants from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute). A very efficient collector with a low air-circulation rate will not be effective, nor will a cleaner with a high air-circulation rate but a less efficient collector. The long-term performance of any air cleaner depends on maintaining it according to the manufacturer's directions.
Another important factor you should know in determining the effectiveness of an air cleaner is the strength of the pollutant source. Table-top air cleaners, in particular, may not remove noticeable amounts of pollutants from strong nearby sources. If you are sensitive to particular indoor pollutant sources, you may find that air cleaners are helpful only in conjunction with your diligent efforts in removing these pollutants.
Over the past few years, there has been some advertising and talk suggesting that houseplants have been shown to reduce levels of some chemicals in laboratory experiments. There is currently no evidence. However, a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices. By the way, indoor houseplants should never be over-watered because extremely damp soil may promote the growth of microorganisms which can affect allergic individuals.
At present, the EPA does not recommend using air cleaners to reduce levels of radon and its decay products. The effectiveness of these machines is uncertain because they only partially remove the radon decay products and do not reduce the amount of radon entering your home. The EPA plans to do additional research on whether air cleaners are, or could become, a reliable means of reducing the health risk from radon.
