Indoor Air Pollution is a Serious Threat to Your Health

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Indoor Air Pollution is a Serious Threat to Your Health

Thursday, March 05, 2009 by: nne Leigh, citizen journalist

 

(NaturalNews) Indoor air pollution is arguably one of the most overlooked

threats to human health, particularly affecting young children who spend an

estimated 80% of their time indoors. Studies released in the past few years

demonstrate clearly that poor indoor air quality not only increases asthma

symptoms but can also be responsible for headaches, fatigue, nausea, allergic

reactions, hormone imbalances and liver, kidney or central nervous system

damage. Evidence has even been found that it causes cancer.

Most of us realize that outdoor air pollution is potentially dangerous. City

smog, automobile exhaust and even more potent industrial wastes, being

recognized health hazards, are systematically measured and documented. But a

recent study by s Hopkins` Bloomberg School of Public Health found that in

many cases, the level of indoor pollution was twice that of outdoor (other

studies have claimed as much as 5 times higher) and that the presence of these

elevated levels of pollution significantly increased asthma symptoms in the

children being studied. These findings are all the more alarming paired with the

fact that no regulations currently exist for indoor air quality, not even in

schools or day care facilities!

Tufts University lecturer, Dr. Altman, published another study in

December of 2008 pointing out several of the most troubling aspects of this

health threat. First, most people remain completely unaware of this lurking

problem. And second, reducing people`s exposure is notoriously difficult because

one major source usually can`t be isolated. Indoor air pollution can come from

hundreds and even thousands of sources that have become so ingrained in our

everyday lives; we no longer question them. They can include:

* Household cleaning products,

* Cosmetics,

* Chemical pesticides,

* Chlorine from ordinary tap water (chloramines and Trihalomethanes (THMs) are

formed when chlorine combines with organic substances like skin, hair, or

bacteria (etc.) during swimming or showering),

* Synthetic fragrances (contain phthalates),

* Dry cleaned clothes (dry cleaning uses perchloroethylene which is

carcinogenic),

* Secondhand smoke (contains 200 known poisons and 43 carcinogens),

* Biological Pollutants (including mold, bacteria, viruses, pollen, dust mites

and animal dander),

* Carpets and upholstery (bonding agents containing formaldehyde),

* Building and remodeling materials (including paint, lacquer, glue, particle

board and plywood),

* Office machines and materials (including copiers, printers (ink), correction

fluid, graphics and craft materials and photographic solutions),

* Radon gas (a carcinogen responsible for more than 20,000 deaths a year).

The good news, if indeed any can be found, is that indoor air pollution is

infinitely more controllable than outdoor air pollution. There are many ways to

reduce and even eliminate these pollutants from your home. With careful

cooperation from educators and businesses, they can also be reduced at school

and in the workplace.

An initial level of defense can include an air purifier or filter. Particularly

useful against large particulate matter, they are recognized by leading health

authorities (The American Lung Association, The Mayo Clinic, The Asthma and

Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the British Allergy Foundation) as an

effective means of controlling asthma symptoms. Proper ventilation of interior

spaces is an equally important step towards increasing air quality.

Additionally, there are myriad ways to avoid even introducing toxins to your

interior. For city dwellers, for example, installing a water filtration system

not only increases the overall quality of your water but also eliminates

chlorine and chlorinated gases from the air inside your home. Other measures

include switching to natural cleaning products and cosmetics and keeping

pesticide use to a minimum.

Biological pollutants can be minimized through regular cleaning and controlling

moisture in areas like basements and bathrooms. You may also want to assess the

efficiency of your vacuum`s filter system. Use of high-efficiency small particle

filters in vacuums and air purifiers has been shown to significantly reduce

interior particulate pollution and subsequently asthma and allergy symptoms.

Finally, it can be tempting, certainly these days, to save money by purchasing

cheaper products when decorating, improving or building a home. But consider the

health risks associated with toxin-releasing particleboard furniture or

synthetic fibers, for example. And suddenly 'green' building materials or the

more expensive solid wood furniture can become more appealing.

In the end, while all of these methods can work together to create a healthier

interior environment and better overall health for yourself and family members,

the real bonus is that many are equally beneficial to the planet. Altering your

purchasing habits when buying home furnishings, cleaners, pesticides or

cosmetics will avoid introducing harmful chemicals into your home and into the

environment. But you can also feel satisfied that each purchase of an

alternative product strengthens the market share of environmentally responsible

products and businesses, creating a self-propagating system of increasing

environmental health.

Sources:

Indoor Air Pollution Increases Asthma Symptoms (s Hopkins Bloomberg School

of Public Health)

http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthne...

Pollution at Home Often Lurks Unrecognized (12/26/2008, Reuters Health) by Amy

Norton

http://www.reuters.com/article/heal...

Air Purifiers and Air Filters Can Help the Health of Allergy and Asthmas

Sufferers (S. A. )

http://ambafrance-do.org/alternativ...

Indoor Air Pollution Fact Sheet (08/1999, American Lung Association)

http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK...

An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (Environmental Protection Agency)

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html