Air Supply
Keeping your indoor air clean is simple—and smart.
September/October 2009
By Beth Swanson
Tight houses are great for efficiency. They keep heated and cooled air inside, where you want it. But they also trap in the bad stuff—toxins from cleaning supplies, mold and other nasty pollutants that can make you sick.
RELATED CONTENT
Capture and remove air pollutants from your home with an indoor air filter....
On October 21, 2002, the USDA set national standards for organic food....
Are you tired of settling for fast food when you’re in a rush? Gary Hirshberg can relate. While lea...
Test your knowledge about USDA-certified organic foods....
Indoor pollutants cause a range of health issues such as asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart attacks and nausea, says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president for national policy and advocacy at the American Lung Association. The most dangerous are carbon monoxide, radon and secondhand smoke. “Carbon monoxide can cause premature death, radon causes lung cancer, and secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and premature death,” she says.
Houses more than 20 years old may harbor lead-based paint and asbestos. Lead is particularly dangerous for young children; exposure can lead to convulsions, coma and even death. Asbestos, which can lead to lung cancer, can be found in older homes in deteriorating or disturbed pipe insulation; fire-retardant acoustical material; and floor tiles. (If you plan to make repairs that might disturb asbestos, contact a professional.)
Several other seemingly benign products can pollute indoor air. Formaldehyde, that awful-smelling substance that preserved frogs in biology class, can be found in textiles, adhesives and particleboard products such as cabinets and furniture. Paints, air fresheners, dry-cleaned clothing, aerosol sprays, adhesives and fabric additives used in carpet and furniture can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic chemicals that outgas into the air. Dogs and cats can track pollutants from litter boxes and outdoors.