By Elisabeth Dunham
Oregonian Homes & Gardens of the Northwest
Updated Jan. 10, 2019
The word "pollution" might conjure up images of factories and freeways, but the air inside your home is often far worse for your health than the air outside.
"It's funny how most folks are so concerned about outdoor pollution but pollution levels in our home can be much higher," says Brett Sherry, program manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Healthy Homes and Schools Program. "And most of us spend about 90 percent of our time in our home. So the exposure (to pollution) is happening there."
The problem stems partly from the fact that many homes are so well insulated and sealed nowadays that we've lost the natural ventilation of those old drafty windows, doors and floorboards.
"Newer homes are well wrapped and keep heat in, but you are sealing out drafts," Sherry says. "Drafts have a negative connotation, but they are actually bringing in the fresh air we need."
Winters in the Northwest don't help the situation because we spend even more time inside our homes during those rainy months, says Louise Tolzmann, a naturopath who specializes in environmental medicine and indoor air quality. "The house is sealed up and you've got the heaters on, blowing around dust and particulates."
Oregonian Homes & Gardens of the Northwest
Updated Jan. 10, 2019
The word "pollution" might conjure up images of factories and freeways, but the air inside your home is often far worse for your health than the air outside.
"It's funny how most folks are so concerned about outdoor pollution but pollution levels in our home can be much higher," says Brett Sherry, program manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Healthy Homes and Schools Program. "And most of us spend about 90 percent of our time in our home. So the exposure (to pollution) is happening there."
The problem stems partly from the fact that many homes are so well insulated and sealed nowadays that we've lost the natural ventilation of those old drafty windows, doors and floorboards.
"Newer homes are well wrapped and keep heat in, but you are sealing out drafts," Sherry says. "Drafts have a negative connotation, but they are actually bringing in the fresh air we need."
Winters in the Northwest don't help the situation because we spend even more time inside our homes during those rainy months, says Louise Tolzmann, a naturopath who specializes in environmental medicine and indoor air quality. "The house is sealed up and you've got the heaters on, blowing around dust and particulates."
Compounding the problem is the fact that many of the materials inside our homes these days emit low levels of harmful chemicals in the process known as off-gassing, where building materials release potentially harmful compounds through evaporation, often for years after the products are initially installed. Materials include many paints, stains, varnishes, vinyl, carpet, insulation, flooring, kitchen cabinets and countertops, plywood, particleboard, paint strippers, piping and upholstered furniture, just to name a few. Throw in cleaning products, crafting supplies and gas appliances like stoves, furnaces, water heaters and clothes dryers (while exhaust is routed out of the house, they can leak), and you've got a toxic stew (lead, formaldehyde, fire retardants, radon, volatile chemicals and fragrances) that you, your family and pets might be breathing in upwards of 15 hours per day.
Indoor air quality can be an even bigger problem for kids because toxic chemicals such as heavy metals concentrate closer to the floor in the indoor atmosphere, right where kids are breathing. Kids also breathe faster than adults -- and therefore take in more toxics per body weight than adults.
"Pound for pound, children breathe in more air than adults due to their substantial growth and high metabolism," says Charles McGee II, executive director of the
Josiah Hill Clinic, a local nonprofit with the mission of protecting children from environmental hazards and promoting community action for healthy homes. "A sleeping child takes in twice as much air per pound of body weight when compared to an adult. And if subjected to the same airborne toxin, a child will inhale proportionally twice as much as an adult."
Children also spend significantly more time on the floor and ground, and as a result, they are more likely to come in contact with pollutants that settle onto carpets and floors. Kids' bodies also absorb toxic chemicals much more readily than adult bodies, in much the same way they absorb nutrients such as calcium more readily than adults, McGee notes.
"A toddler, for instance, will absorb about 50 percent of ingested lead, whereas an adult will only absorb 15 percent," McGee says.
So what can we do to clean up the air inside our homes and breathe easier? Here are some simple ideas for quickly improving your indoor air quality:
1. Take off your shoes.
Perhaps the simplest way to significantly improve air quality inside your home is to make sure folks remove their shoes before entering. Every time we walk in a house with shoes on we track in all sorts of pollutants -- pesticides, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Those chemicals then settle onto floors and carpets, where they can come in contact with kids or are kicked up into the atmosphere and inhaled.
2. Ditch the dirty products.
Get rid of chemically laden cleaning products and opt for nontoxic or "green" substitutes such as white vinegar and water. Air fresheners also contribute to poor indoor air quality by adding more chemicals to the environment. And they don't get rid of the source of odors -- they mask them. Instead of using air fresheners, clean up the source of the odors as much as possible. If you do want to scent the air, add drops of essential oils such as lavender or lemon to your natural cleaning solutions.
3. Run those fans.
Make sure to leave fans on for 15 minutes or more after showering in order to remove the moisture that causes mold (which degrades air quality and contributes to asthma and other respiratory symptoms). If you don't have a fan in the bathroom, open a window after each shower to let in fresh, oxygen-rich air, which also prevents mold, Sherry suggests.
4. Send smokers outside.
Secondhand smoke is a major threat to clean indoor air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to cigarette smoke increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The answer? Quit. "If a family member does smoke, urge them to take it outside and make the inside smoke-free," Sherry says.
5. Keep it clean.
Keeping your house clean is one of the best ways to prevent buildup of particulates and chemicals on surfaces and in the air. Regular house cleaning will reduce air-borne substances such as dust and dust mites, animal dander and pollen as well as environmental toxic chemicals that enter the home
6. Suck it up.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to reduce toxic concentrations throughout the home. A HEPA filter is one that meets government standards for removing 99.97 percent of all particles greater than. 0.3 micrometer from air that passes through it. HEPA filters are commonly used on vacuums, air purifiers and furnaces. When carpets and floors are not properly cleaned, chemicals and other allergens can accumulate in household dust -- often for decades -- and add to hazardous indoor air.
7. Brush it off.
Brush pets often, and do it outside. The pet dander that is released into the air can be harmful for children and adults alike in terms of causing asthma and other symptoms.
8. Clean the air.
Consider investing in a high quality air purifier. "Not bringing in new (toxics) is a good thing, but getting rid of existing emissions, pollen and dust mites is even better," says Patrick Rutledge, manager of Green Depot's Portland store. These days, the best units have both a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter that removes chemicals (VOCs, heavy metals, etc.), he notes. Rutledge recommends the Austin Air unit, which includes both features, and sells for around $375.
-- Elisabeth DunhamThree contaminants to watch for
Common indoor air contaminants include lead, radon and carbon monoxide.
Lead.
If your home was built before 1978, it's worth testing for lead. "Generally people test around windows and doors, anywhere rubbing could create dust," Sherry says. You can buy lead-testing kits for between $8 and $20 at most hardware stores.
Radon.
A naturally occurring radioactive gas, it's a byproduct of the breakdown of uranium and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, he says. "It comes up out of the soil, hits the foundation and comes up into the homes and builds up to dangerous levels in the indoor air." Radon test kits range in price from $9 to $25. More information about radon and testing is at the Oregon Radon Program's website (
healthoregon.org/radon).
Carbon monoxide.
This type of pollution inside the home can come from a variety of sources, including fuel-burning appliances, oil or natural gas furnaces, kerosene heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves. "If carbon monoxide is building up in your home it's an immediate concern," Sherry says. "So it's important to make sure these appliances are properly ventilated to the outdoors." Carbon monoxide detectors range from about $20 to $200 at hardware stores.
You can buy inexpensive test kits for all three substances at Home Depot and most other hardware stores and online.
Lead screenings
The
Josiah Hill Clinic
provides free blood lead screenings for children under 6, pregnant women and nursing mothers. To learn more about indoor air quality issues that affect children, visit the clinic's website at
www.jhillclinic.org
Indoor air quality can be an even bigger problem for kids because toxic chemicals such as heavy metals concentrate closer to the floor in the indoor atmosphere, right where kids are breathing. Kids also breathe faster than adults -- and therefore take in more toxics per body weight than adults.
"Pound for pound, children breathe in more air than adults due to their substantial growth and high metabolism," says Charles McGee II, executive director of the
Josiah Hill Clinic, a local nonprofit with the mission of protecting children from environmental hazards and promoting community action for healthy homes. "A sleeping child takes in twice as much air per pound of body weight when compared to an adult. And if subjected to the same airborne toxin, a child will inhale proportionally twice as much as an adult."
Children also spend significantly more time on the floor and ground, and as a result, they are more likely to come in contact with pollutants that settle onto carpets and floors. Kids' bodies also absorb toxic chemicals much more readily than adult bodies, in much the same way they absorb nutrients such as calcium more readily than adults, McGee notes.
"A toddler, for instance, will absorb about 50 percent of ingested lead, whereas an adult will only absorb 15 percent," McGee says.
So what can we do to clean up the air inside our homes and breathe easier? Here are some simple ideas for quickly improving your indoor air quality:
1. Take off your shoes.
Perhaps the simplest way to significantly improve air quality inside your home is to make sure folks remove their shoes before entering. Every time we walk in a house with shoes on we track in all sorts of pollutants -- pesticides, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Those chemicals then settle onto floors and carpets, where they can come in contact with kids or are kicked up into the atmosphere and inhaled.
2. Ditch the dirty products.
Get rid of chemically laden cleaning products and opt for nontoxic or "green" substitutes such as white vinegar and water. Air fresheners also contribute to poor indoor air quality by adding more chemicals to the environment. And they don't get rid of the source of odors -- they mask them. Instead of using air fresheners, clean up the source of the odors as much as possible. If you do want to scent the air, add drops of essential oils such as lavender or lemon to your natural cleaning solutions.
3. Run those fans.
Make sure to leave fans on for 15 minutes or more after showering in order to remove the moisture that causes mold (which degrades air quality and contributes to asthma and other respiratory symptoms). If you don't have a fan in the bathroom, open a window after each shower to let in fresh, oxygen-rich air, which also prevents mold, Sherry suggests.
4. Send smokers outside.
Secondhand smoke is a major threat to clean indoor air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to cigarette smoke increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The answer? Quit. "If a family member does smoke, urge them to take it outside and make the inside smoke-free," Sherry says.
5. Keep it clean.
Keeping your house clean is one of the best ways to prevent buildup of particulates and chemicals on surfaces and in the air. Regular house cleaning will reduce air-borne substances such as dust and dust mites, animal dander and pollen as well as environmental toxic chemicals that enter the home
6. Suck it up.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to reduce toxic concentrations throughout the home. A HEPA filter is one that meets government standards for removing 99.97 percent of all particles greater than. 0.3 micrometer from air that passes through it. HEPA filters are commonly used on vacuums, air purifiers and furnaces. When carpets and floors are not properly cleaned, chemicals and other allergens can accumulate in household dust -- often for decades -- and add to hazardous indoor air.
7. Brush it off.
Brush pets often, and do it outside. The pet dander that is released into the air can be harmful for children and adults alike in terms of causing asthma and other symptoms.
8. Clean the air.
Consider investing in a high quality air purifier. "Not bringing in new (toxics) is a good thing, but getting rid of existing emissions, pollen and dust mites is even better," says Patrick Rutledge, manager of Green Depot's Portland store. These days, the best units have both a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter that removes chemicals (VOCs, heavy metals, etc.), he notes. Rutledge recommends the Austin Air unit, which includes both features, and sells for around $375.
-- Elisabeth DunhamThree contaminants to watch for
Common indoor air contaminants include lead, radon and carbon monoxide.
Lead.
If your home was built before 1978, it's worth testing for lead. "Generally people test around windows and doors, anywhere rubbing could create dust," Sherry says. You can buy lead-testing kits for between $8 and $20 at most hardware stores.
Radon.
A naturally occurring radioactive gas, it's a byproduct of the breakdown of uranium and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, he says. "It comes up out of the soil, hits the foundation and comes up into the homes and builds up to dangerous levels in the indoor air." Radon test kits range in price from $9 to $25. More information about radon and testing is at the Oregon Radon Program's website (
healthoregon.org/radon).
Carbon monoxide.
This type of pollution inside the home can come from a variety of sources, including fuel-burning appliances, oil or natural gas furnaces, kerosene heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves. "If carbon monoxide is building up in your home it's an immediate concern," Sherry says. "So it's important to make sure these appliances are properly ventilated to the outdoors." Carbon monoxide detectors range from about $20 to $200 at hardware stores.
You can buy inexpensive test kits for all three substances at Home Depot and most other hardware stores and online.
Lead screenings
The
Josiah Hill Clinic
provides free blood lead screenings for children under 6, pregnant women and nursing mothers. To learn more about indoor air quality issues that affect children, visit the clinic's website at
www.jhillclinic.org