Indoor air has quality concerns of its own

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Remodeling Eden

Indoor air has quality concerns of its own

By CHAD SIMPSON

The Daily Courier

PRESCOTT - Your home may be your castle, but it also may be making you sick.

During a February public presentation at the Prescott Public Library, Dan

Stih, a local home inspector, outlined possible explanations for what he

calls " sick-building syndrome, " where things in a person's home may

contribute to curious or otherwise unexplainable illnesses.

Stih, who specializes on indoor air quality, electromagnetic fields, toxic

materials and other environmental issues, launched his presentation with

some statistics he has compiled from various sources: people spend 90

percent of their time indoors; home-makers have a 55-percent greater chance

of developing cancer than their working spouses; indoor air pollutants cause

half of all colds and flus; allergies were unheard of in 1900.

Common ailments affecting people living in contaminated quarters, he said,

include: allergies, headaches, fatigue, depression, hypertension, memory

loss, loss of balance, insomnia and irritability.

Topping the list of potentially harmful substances lingering in people's

homes include:

.. Biological contaminates (mold, bacteria, mildew, animal droppings and

bugs).

.. Particulates (asbestos, fiberglass, smoke, dust and pollen).

.. Gases (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur).

.. Heavy metals (lead, mercury, fluoride, copper and cadmium).

.. Volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, benzene,

perfumes and cosmetics).

.. Radon (a possible carcinogen present in soil and rocks).

.. Pesticides and fungicides.

.. Electromagnetic fields (created by electronic appliances, faulty wiring

and power lines).

By now, most people know about the potential scourge posed by high-profile

contaminants such as black mold, lead paint and asbestos; however, Stih

emphasized, those substances are just the tip of the iceberg.

While local residents don't have to worry so much about mold - especially

around this dry time of year - Stih said, in an interview after his

presentation, that plenty of other possible hazards exist.

Most of his local clients have fairly simple issues such as inefficient or

cheap HVAC filters that allow particulates such as tiny pieces of fiberglass

or drywall to blow around the house. Stih said he also finds quite a few gas

leaks.

" Everybody has gas leaks, " he said, adding that he uses special instruments

which can detect gas that the average nose cannot.

Despite claims to the contrary by local industry officials and federal

regulators, Stih said that natural gas and propane are more than just simple

asphyxiates, and that they contain substances such as lead, mercury and

radon.

In response to those claims, Tom Broderick, of the Flagstaff-based Citizens

Arizona Gas, stood by his comments that natural gas is relatively safe;

however, he did point out that it probably is not a wise decision to breathe

directly from the exhaust pipe of any combustion process regularly.

Yet another contaminant that Stih often finds in local homes is pesticides.

Even if people spray outdoors, certain chemicals can remain in the soil for

30 years, and as people play or work in their yards, they can get it on

their shoes or clothes, then track it throughout their homes.

Stih added that research has linked pesticides to a variety of ailments,

such as birth defects, neurological conditions, asthma, cancer and Parkinson

's disease. In effect, he explained, pesticides are poisons and, as such,

they are poisonous to humans.

He suggests that people spray only if they have a severe bug problem, and

then only as a last resort. In addition to several non-toxic remedies, such

as using borax to repel termites, Stih said people should also consider

targeting specific pests, such as deadly spiders, rather than aiming to kill

everything.

Furthermore, he added, people often can get rid of ants simply by removing

their food source.

Other potential household hazards include volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

that can " out-gas " from various plastics, vinyls, carpets and stuffed

furniture.

For example, he explained, you can often smell the out-gassing on plastic

toys or PVC pipe, especially if they have been sitting in the sun for a long

time.

Similarly, Stih said, various fragrances in personal-care products,

detergents or air deodorizers can also pose potential health issues.

" Anything that smells, " he said, is suspect.

During his presentation last month, Stih said that the fragrance industry

uses more than 3,000 different chemicals to produce various smells. Also, he

said, manufacturers don't always have to list the inert or inactive

ingredients in their products, so consumers don't always have a clear

picture of what they are using.

Finally, Stih explained how electro-magnetic fields (EMFs), emitted by

alternating currents of electricity, can possibly cause health problems such

as childhood leukemia, sudden-infant death, birth defects and cancer.

Primarily, he said, people should be more concerned about the EMFs inside

their homes, rather than overhead power lines. Ideally, he said, people

should not spend much time - especially when they are sleeping - within

three feet of an electronic appliance, even an alarm clock.

" Electric blankets are the worst thing you could possibly use, " he said,

because they effectively wrap you up within a powerful EMF.

Stih suggests that, to truly create a healthy sleeping space, you should

unplug everything in the bedroom before you go to sleep, or at least ensure

that all appliances are more than three feet away from the bed.

Mike sen, a local spokesman for Arizona Public Service, admits that some

studies suggest that EMFs are possibly carcinogenic (with about the same

risk level as coffee); however, he pointed out that the same number of

studies suggest that they are not harmful.

" It's highly disputed within the scientific community, " he said.

Despite that ambiguity, he said, APS systematically reviews new research and

makes it available to consumers. For residents who live beneath APS power

lines, the company will test - for free - EMFs around and inside the home,

he said, as well as provide third-party research and conclusions.

Contact Chad Simpson at csimpson@...