Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality has become a much higher concern for us than in the past. This, in part, has to due with the fact that we are using a lot more chemicals and bringing a lot more chemicals into our homes. The evaporation of these chemicals put a lot of toxins into the air that we breathe. Furthermore, so many of the products that we use have chemicals in them that produce off-gassing which increase the number of toxins in the air that we breathe.

According to the EPA, indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times worse inside your home than outside.

Indoor air quality has gone to the top of the list and ranks within the top 5 for environmental health risk. It is not hard to see why when you consider the fact that we spend 90% of our time indoors. Of this 90% of time spent indoors, 60% of it is spent in our homes. For a lot of families, indoor air pollution can be more of a problem and concern than the outdoor air pollution.

Much of our poor indoor air quality can be seen. Many of us have seen all of the particles floating in a room as a beam of sunlight shines into the room. We breathe these particles in without even knowing it. What we don't breathe in will settle as visible dust. The particle size that you are seeing in the beam of sunlight and settling as visible dust is around 50 microns.

Our bodies have an effective defense mechanism for keeping out foreign particles. Particle size 10 microns and larger is effectively filtered out by the nose. The nose hairs and mucus prevents the foreign particles from entering into the body. Particle size between 4-10 microns can get past the nose and reach the bronchi tubes. Particles smaller than 4 microns can reach into the lungs.

Indoor air quality has become such a major concern because the majority of toxic pollutants are smaller than one micron in the form of gasses and vapor. Evaporation from chemicals and products in our home emit highly toxic molecule substances.

Heath Effects

The health effects from poor indoor air quality can be different for everybody. What health effects you suffer from can depend on:

• your current state of health
• the amount of time that you are exposed to indoor air pollution
• the strength of the pollutants, and the sensitivity that you might have

Infants, young children, older people, and pregnant women are at a higher risk because they generally stay in the home longer and have more exposure time. It can be especially stressful on the immune system for the young children since their lungs are not fully developed. Long term stress on the immune system can weaken it.

Allergies, respiratory problems, heart problems, cancer, and chemical sensitivities can develop later on in life. Stress on the immune system can make existing conditions worse (allergy and asthma for example) along with making you more susceptible to illness.

Three Problems of Indoor Air Quality

The first problem of indoor air quality is that we bring into our homes many of the chemicals that evaporate into our air. Many homes have a wide variety of cleaning chemicals under the kitchen sink. Hobbyist have solvents, glues, preservatives and other supplies stored somewhere on a shelf. The laundry room has bleach. The attached garage has gasoline stored on the shelf for the lawnmower. All these products that we bring into our home have the potential to evaporate into the air.

The second problem of indoor air quality is the lack of ventilation. One of the things that came out of the energy crisis from the 1970's was improved building techniques. Buildings began to be built tight and more draft-proof. This allowed the new construction to be more energy efficient and cost effective. As a result, less fresh air was getting in and diluting the pollution being emitted from indoor sources. Less air was leaking out taking the contaminants with it. Moisture could build up easier which would promote biological growth and wood rot. The tightly built homes since the 1970's contribute to contaminants accumulating to unsafe levels.

The third problem of indoor air quality is not cleaning the air inside. Lack of cleaning of the indoor air can lead to a build up of contaminants. Proper ventilation can be a big help but is not always practical for some people. It is not practical to open up the windows to let in fresh air when it is cold (or too hot) outside. No matter how well you clean, your home will always have dust. Too much dust can make anyone sneeze. Air cleaners catch and hold onto particles floating in the air and release the clean air back into the room.

Components of Indoor Air Pollution

You might be surprised at all the sources that indoor air pollution can come from. It can be more complicated than just imagining second-hand smoke just as we imagine smog for outdoor pollution. Pollutants can come from a wide variety of sources or activities. It can be man-made or it can be found naturally in nature. Pollution can come in the form of particles or it can be found in the form of gasses, vapor, or biological contaminants. Indoor air pollution can also be added to our homes by the activities that we engage in. Crafts, hobbies, letting automotive fumes in from our attached garage and burning different kinds of fuels for heat can all be activities that contribute to poor indoor air quality.

The list below is by no means meant to be a complete list of contaminants. It serves as an introduction to indoor air quality.

1. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a chemical widely used in the production of building materials and household products. It is even found in cigarette smoke. It is widely used because it makes such a good preservative and adhesive. It is also an important ingredient to get the permanent-press results for clothing and curtains. This colorless gas evaporates from the products that it is used in. High humidity and high temperatures can accelerate the off-gassing of formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde can be found in products that use a lot of adhesive such as: pressed-wood, plywood, particle board, kitchen cabinets, countertops, and wallpaper. It is also found in our furniture that also uses this same type of wood. Articles coming back from the dry cleaners will have formaldehyde evaporating from them.

2. Second Hand Smoke
Second hand smoke has over 4000 chemicals in it and over three dozen of them are known to cause cancer in humans. Research is continually showing the harmful effects of smoking. Children are especially vulnerable since their lungs have not fully developed.

The harmful effects of second hand smoke can be found in pipe tobacco, cigarettes and cigars. Not allowing smoking in your home is the easiest and best thing that you can do to improve indoor air quality.

3. Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion. It is extremely insidious because it has no smell and no color. Only a carbon monoxide detector lets you know of its presence. Carbon monoxide displaces the oxygen in our blood and makes it more difficult for the oxygen to circulate in our bodies.

Carbon monoxide is found in the exhaust of running vehicles. It can seep into our home if we have an attached garage. Gas or kerosene space heaters will put carbon monoxide into our air if they are not vented properly. Anything that burns such as your furnace, gas water heater, or fireplace has the potential of putting carbon monoxide into the air.

4. Radon
Radon, like carbon monoxide, has no color and no smell. Only a radon detector will alert you to its presence. All homes should be tested for radon. Radon bearing soil breaks down into radon gas. For radioactive particle to get inside our lungs can be extremely harmful. These particles get trapped in our lungs and damage the lung tissue. Radon exposure increases your chances for lung cancer.

Because radon is a gas, it can easily seep into our homes. Radon can enter into the basement from the soil through cracks in the walls or floors. It can also enter through drains and sumps. As it decomposes in the ground and turns into a gas, it can enter into your well water and be brought in with our water.

5. Lead
Lead is a natural occurring mineral that has been used in many products in the past. Lead base paint and leaded gasoline are two of the most popular uses from the past. Today, it is recognized as a pollutant that is harmful to the environment and to humans. It is no longer used in gasoline and it was banned from paint in 1978. Lead poisoning in young children is not all that uncommon as they ingest paint chips or lead contaminated dust.

As lead base paint deteriorates, chips or is sanded, it turns into a fine dust powder that can stay airborne for a long period of time. Harmful exposure to lead can also come in our drinking water, food, contaminated soil and plumbing fixtures. Lead from the solder in plumbing and pipes can get into our drinking water.

6. Asbestos
Asbestos was a product widely used before the 1970's. The attraction to the product was its excellent insulating and fireproof qualities. As the products breaks down or is disturbed, the light weight fiber stays airborne for a long period of time.

Asbestos is most commonly found in older homes. It was mostly used in insulation applications. It was also found in textured paint and floor tiles. Many of the asbestos products have been banned today.

7. Airborne Chemicals
Many of the chemicals that we bring into our homes to use are toxic to humans. We would not even think about putting them in our mouth. Yet these solid chemicals or liquid chemicals easily evaporate and find their way into our lungs by inhalation. To some people, some of these compounds smell good like the new car smell. When the vapor of the toxic chemicals has worn off, the consumer goes out to buy an "air freshener" to reproduce the new car smell.

Toxic chemical vapors and gases can come from a wide range of sources: household cleaners, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, gasoline, laundry products, mineral spirits, moth repellents, paint strippers, pesticide, solvents, and wood preservatives. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) are everywhere in our society. They are not likely to go away. If it smells like a chemical, it is probably best not to breathe in the fumes. Varnish, lawn chemicals, dyes in fabrics, furniture polish, window cleaners, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, disinfectants, and the alike are all products that produces fumes and should not be inhaled. All of these add to poor indoor air quality.

8. Airborne Micro-Organism
Viruses, bacteria, mold and mildew can all become airborne and breathed in.

9. Airborne Allergens
Airborne allergens add to poor indoor air quality. Because this type of air pollution is not toxic, our bodies have an efficient way of eliminating it. For those who have allergic rhinitis, this type of poor indoor air quality is especially troublesome.

This source of air pollution comes from:

• Dust Mites: Dust mite allergy comes from the dust mite droppings, cast skin and decaying body parts. Since most of the dust mite population is in our beds, symptoms occur year-round.
• Cockroaches: Cockroach allergy comes from the cockroach droppings, dead body parts, secretions, eggs, and saliva. Since cockroaches can live in our homes, symptoms can be year-round.
• Pet dander: Pet allergy can come from many different kinds of pets. Symptoms occur anytime that there is exposure.
• Pollen: Pollen allergy can come from any type of pollen that stays airborne long enough to be breathed in. Symptoms are seasonal.
• Mold: Mold allergy can come from outdoor mold and indoor mold. As a result, symptoms can be both seasonal and year-round.

This type of poor indoor air quality should not be ignored. If these types of allergies are not managed, further complications may develop such as:

• Post Nasal Drip
• Allergic Conjunctivitis (eye allergy)
• Otitis Media (infection of the middle ear)
• Eczema (skin rash)
• Allergic Asthma
• Sinusitis

Improving Indoor Air Quality

The most widely accepted strategy for improving indoor air quality is

1. to control the source
2. increase ventilation
3. to clean the air

1. Source Control

One of the most important things that you can do to control indoor air quality is to prevent the contaminants from entering your home in the first place.

If products that produce off-gassing are needed, don't buy more than you need and store it. Keep the lids on tight. Use the products in a well ventilated area. Consider storing them in a shed or garage if possible. Many products today are being made that are more user friendly and environment friendly. One among many examples is household cleaners. Cleaners of the past used high concentrations of toxic chemicals. Today, the same cleaning power can be found without harming the environment or the user.

Not using air fresheners is a good example of source control and how a small life style change can greatly improve indoor air quality.

Source control either involves preventing the contaminants from entering your home in the first place or removing the contaminants once it is there.

High humidity can lead to biological growth such as mold, mildew, and dust mites. High humidity can also increase the rate of off-gassing of chemicals. By controlling the relative humidity, the growth of some biological contaminants can be minimized.

2. Ventilate

You may not always be able to address the problem by going to the source. Formaldehyde is used in so many products such as wood in furniture and kitchen cabinets that it would not be practical to eliminate the source. The next best thing to do then is to increase ventilation.

Ventilation lowers the concentration of indoor air pollutants. Ventilation brings fresh air in and takes out contaminants which dilutes the pollution. This is especially important during the time that you are actually using the toxic chemicals. It also helps to lower high humidity that contributes to biological contaminants. Ventilation helps to reduce the strength of the indoor air pollution.

3. Clean the Air

Increase ventilation is not always practical for all people. For those who are allergic to pollen or mold, increasing the ventilation from the outdoors can make their condition worse.

Air cleaners can be very effective in increasing the indoor air quality. But they may not be effective for everyone. Trying to use air cleaners for radon or carbon monoxide is not the wise course of action. Air cleaners are more effective on particles than on gasses or fumes. Always make sure that your air cleaner is powerful enough for the room that you are trying to clean.

Conclusion

Indoor air quality issues is always going to be around. We are not going to get rid of the biological contaminants or pollen. We are not going to get rid of our cars that produce carbon monoxide or gasoline that puts chemical vapor into the air. We are not going to quit heating our homes.

The proper response is to find a balance for addressing poor indoor air quality issues. Be mindful of what chemicals you bring into your home and where and how you store them. Be mindful of the ventilation as you are using the chemicals. Use protective gear such as mask, goggles and gloves as you use toxic chemicals. By taking precautions, you can avoid the toxic build up in your body.

Don't have a chemical storehouse in your home. Most of us have chemicals and products that we could get rid of and not miss. It is important to always dispose of these chemicals according to the laws in your area. If a chemical is giving off an odor or smell, seriously consider getting rid of it.

Breathing clean air is extremely important to good health. Many of the pollutants listed above can get deep inside our lungs where the body's defense mechanism cannot remove them. The best response for improving indoor air quality is to be proactive.

To learn more, read the article Indoor Air Quality and Allergies by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
They also have another interesting article on indoor air quality.

Go to the nasal allergies home page.

Back to Top