What's in the air you're breathing?

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What's in the air you're breathing?

Ottawa Citizen - Ontario, Canada*

Terry Tinkess, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Thursday, May 08, 2008

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3ac2b3bd-99cb-

4475-b09b-5486afd80612

As more people choose to renovate rather than relocate, it's

important to realize that one of the biggest problems you can

encounter can easily go unnoticed. The problem? The air inside your

home and the contaminants it can contain.

Indoor air quality has been a concern for some time, and in many

cases the installation of an air filtration system alleviates the

problem. When you start tearing down walls however, the problem can

become much more severe.

In many older homes there is the possibility of encountering

asbestos or urea formaldehyde insulation, both of which have been

determined to be a source on health problems. As well, a tiny water

leak that could lead to the growth of mould is something that needs

to be identified and corrected.

Not all problems are behind the walls either. The plaster used to

finish drywall in many residential and commercial buildings

constructed prior to 1980 can contain asbestos as well.

So how do you deal with these potential indoor air quality problems?

Doing your homework is a good way to start. Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corporation (CMHC) is Canada's national housing agency. One

of their responsibilities is to improve building standards and

housing construction for both new housing and in existing homes.

Indoor air quality is something they are aware of and which they

address in detail on their web site (www.chhc-schl.gc.ca, search

term indoor air quality.)

Many of the more prevalent contaminants such as asbestos, lead and

mould are identified by CMHC and they suggest ways of dealing with

them. In some situations simply sealing the offending material is

the simplest way of dealing with it. Regardless of the substance,

one trait seems to be common: when the contaminant is disturbed, the

risk it presents increases.

Dave Ross of D.C. Environmental Renovations Inc. in , Ontario

says that air quality testing is a good investment whether you ow7n

a home and are planning on renovating, or even if you are

considering the purchase of an existing home. Knowing what problems

exist makes it easier to deal with them safely.

Mr. Ross cautions however, that even once a problem is identified,

not just anyone can be hired to correct it.

" If testing reveals that there is asbestos, you can't just hire any

contractor to remove it. It has to be someone who has the proper

qualifications and be licenced to do so, " he says.

It's not just a case of ripping out the offending material and

carting it off to a landfill either. Hazardous material of this

nature needs to be handled and disposed of according to specific

procedures. Failure to do so can leave not only the renovation

contractor, but the homeowner as well liable and subject to

prosecution.

" You can't just take this stuff to the dump, " says Mr. Ross.

" It has to be double-bagged, you have to call in advance and they

have to make arrangements to bury it right away.

Unfortunately, not enough people are aware of some of the health

risks they may be living with on a day-to-day basis, but through

education that is changing. You wouldn't let your child play with a

toy containing high levels of lead, yet many people unknowingly live

in a home where lead levels or asbestos present a health risk.

" Out of sight, out of mind, " is not an attitude that is acceptable

in this case, particularly when it involves the health and safety of

the people you live with and care the most about.