Air quality in your home

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Air quality in your home

http://toreal.blogs.com/toronto/2007/02/air_quality_in_.html

By Toronto Real Estate Blog

The Ontario Lung Association has a practical website created to help

you identify problem areas in your home, along with some suggested

solutions. For instance, if you suspect your laundry room is the

breeding ground for aggravating scents, and mould brought on by

excess humidity, take the time to review the potential offenders

discussed here.

Instead of scented laundry detergent you may want to switch to

unscented laundry soap marked with the Canadian Ecologo. In fact, it

may be wise to use laundry balls instead of soap, and finish the

wash with a couple of cups of vinegar in the rinse instead of fabric

softener. Another vulnerable area may be your dryer if it's not

vented to the outside of the house properly, or if the hose is

blocked.

Drying your clothes on an outside line, whenever possible, is a

refreshing energy saver. However, in some communities, there are

bylaws prohibiting the use of outdoor clotheslines. Possibly the

more aggravating offender of air quality, indoors and out, is

moulds. These microscopic fungi are among the most widespread living

organisms. Many moulds produce offspring by releasing spores into

the air; they live on animal and plant matter. Growth is encouraged

by warmth and high humidity, and as they grow, they form visible

woolly patches. A well-known example is common bread mould.

Indoor moulds are particularly common in well-insulated houses with

inadequate ventilation. Because moulds love damp areas, look for

mould in the following rooms in your house: basement, bathrooms,

kitchen, and laundry room. Mould can also grow behind a wall where a

water pipe may be leaking.

Health Effects

Dampness in housing is associated with airway inflammation,

exacerbation of asthma, increased incidence of wheezing and other

respiratory symptoms, and increased incidence of upper respiratory

infections. Excess moisture, high humidity, and water leakage often

lead to the growth of mould.

Mould may be a trigger for those who are allergic to it, presenting

as symptoms of asthma. Mould has been associated with the same list

of adverse respiratory health effects as dampness, as well as

changes in lung function, such as increased peak flow variability,

and development of allergy to mould. Mould appears to exacerbate

respiratory conditions both directly (e.g. exacerbation of existing

asthma), and indirectly (e.g. increased incidence of colds and

increased sensitization).

What can you do?

Monitor humidity with a hygrometer, available at hardware or home

supply stores. Generally, indoor humidity should be kept between 30

and 50 per cent. Too much humidity may encourage mould growth. As

well, moulds can grow in the water tanks of such devices when the

water is left standing. Breathing in mists that contain these

organisms

For more tips on improving air quality in and around your home,

visit The Lung Association website