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Indoor Air Quality Health Effects

We spend up to 90% of our time indoors. Indoor air quality is critical for personal health. People who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are often those most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution. Those at the greatest health risk are individuals with compromised immune systems, the chronically ill, the chemically sensitive, those suffering from asthma and allergies, the elderly and children. For example, children  breathe more air than do adults relative to their body size and have greater metabolic growth requirements. Also, young children spend more time on the floor where there is an increased opportunity to inhale particles stirred up by activities. .

Indoor air pollution consists of toxic gases and/or particles that can harm your health. These pollutants can build up rapidly indoors to levels much higher than those usually found outdoors. This is especially true if large amounts of a pollutant are released indoors. Indoor air can reach pollutant levels 100 times greater than outside. Research by the California Air Resources Board, the EPA and others has shown that indoor levels of some pollutants such as formaldehyde, chloroform and styrene, range from 2 to 50 times higher than outdoor levels. Exposure to pollutants such as environmental tobacco smoke and radon occurs almost entirely indoors. For most of us, the amount of air pollution that we breathe is primarily determined by what is in the indoor air. While pollutant levels from individual sources may not pose a significant health risk by themselves, most homes have more than one source that contributes to indoor air pollution. There can be a serious risk from the cumulative and synergistic effects of these sources.

People may react differently to air pollutants, depending on factors such as age, preexisting medical conditions and individual sensitivity. Immediate effects can include headache, nausea, asthma symptoms, irritation to the respiratory system or skin, fatigue, and dizziness. Long-term exposure may cause cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease. See the Sources and Potential Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollutants table below.

Indoor Air Pollutants

For the purpose of discussing air purification and filtration, we can place pollutants into two categories:

Particles

This matter is composed of very small solid or liquid substances that are light enough to float in the air and also accumulate on household surfaces. These particles can include organic and inorganic substances and biological organisms.

Particle size can determine the effect of the pollutants on health.  Small respirable particles can penetrate deep into the lungs where they may stay a long time and cause acute (immediate) or chronic (long term) illness. One study, reported in the Los Angeles Times in April, 2003, "Air Particles Linked to Cell Damage" suggests that very small particles may bypass the body's defense mechanism, travel beyond the lungs and blood stream and penetrate deep inside cells to cause cellular damage that could lead to disease. Larger particles may not penetrate as deep as small particles but can cause allergic reactions and other health problems. Allergic reactions to particulates can include runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, skin rashes, asthma, headaches, upper respiratory discomfort, and an increased risk of developing an allergy.

Large particles can lead to reduced lung function, restricted breathing and an obstructed airway. Heavy metal exposure can lead to toxin levels in the bloodstream. These health effects from exposure to particulate matter in the air depends on the type and amount of particulate, the frequency and duration of exposure and the sensitivity of the individual.

Gasses

Gasses in the indoor air are developed from combustion and the release of chemicals into the air. There are hundreds of gasses that can be detected in the home.

Volatile Organic Compounds (V.O.C.'s) are the chemicals that are part of the products we use and are released into the air when the products are drying, aging and deteriorating. The most notable volatile organic compound is formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen. Other V.O.C.'s exist in plastercizers, stabilizers, solvents and fillers incorporated into the conventional products in our homes such as pesticides, building materials, household cleansers, and personal care items.

Combustion Gasses come into the indoor air from poorly vented appliances, heaters and fireplaces, during cooking with open flame, vehicle exhaust from attached garages and if backdrafting should occur from pressure differentials inside and outside the home forcing air down your chimney flue and spilling combustion gasses into your indoor air. The combustion gasses include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and various other compounds.

Radon is a radioactive gas which permeates out of the decay of radioactive rock and enters the home through the lowest level of the building, in water exiting plumbing fixtures, from the use of natural gas and in some building materials.

Controlling Indoor Air Pollutants

Source Control

Source control is a method used to eliminate the contributor to the indoor air quality problem. Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. We can provide sealed combustion appliances and heating systems to eliminate the potential of combustion gasses leaking into our homes. We can take out building materials that out gas toxic fumes or buy appropriate building materials and household products that do not emit dangerous volatile organic compounds. We can remove materials that contribute to the development of particulate matter that can become airborne and cause respiratory problems. We can use use cleaning systems that eliminate mold and mildew and use household products that prevent the proliferation of allergens.

For example - Carpeting is susceptible to constant wear and the development of particulate matter.  It also is a good breeding ground for a variety of allergens and biological contaminants and is known to outgas many volatile organic compounds. The removal of existing carpeting or the use of optional flooring materials will assist in source control of many potentially hazardous contaminants.

Ventilation

Another approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Indoor air may be exhausted to the exterior and/or less contaminated outdoor air is brought into the indoors. Good ventilation assists in the removal and/or the dilution of indoor air pollutants. Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans when the weather permits or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rate. Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate. Ventilation is particularly important while you are involved in short-term activities that can generate high levels of pollutants. For example, painting, paint stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking, or engaging in maintenance and hobby activities such as welding, soldering, or sanding. However, ventilation alone does little to control particulate matter and may be a problem when levels of pollutants in the outdoor air exceed indoor levels. A ventilation system can be combined with air filtration to control both particulate matter and gasses.

Air Purification

This method of controlling indoor air pollutants can handle both particulate matter and to some degree, gasses. It is important to understand the configuration of the air filter equipment to know its function and capability to handle particulate matter and gasses. An air filter unit can be part of the whole house heating/cooling system or an integral part of the whole house ventilation system. Portable HEPA Room Air Cleaners can be used to reduce/remove indoor air pollutants in living spaces when a whole house filtration system is unavailable or when meeting the specific needs of an individual such as in a nursery or an allergic individuals room.

Some important steps you can take to reduce your indoor pollutant and allergen exposure in your home include:

1. Use a central vacuum system (exhausts outside) or portable sealed HEPA Vacuum Cleaners to prevent air particles and pollutants such as allergens from being dispersed into the air when cleaning.

2. Encase your bedding with Allergen Control Barriers that prevent dust mite proliferation in an area that you spend 1/3 of your day.

3. Wash bedding fabrics weekly in hot water (minimum 130° F).

4. Use surface treatments for Dust Mite Control, Animal Dander Control, Mold Control and Dust Control that will reduce your exposure to these allergens throughout the home.

5. Don't allow pets in the bedroom.

6. Reduce your exposure to chemical gasses and vapors with natural ingredient based Household Cleaners and Personal Care Products.

7. Reduce your exposure to airborne particulates with the use of a portable HEPA Air Purification Unit or a central air filtering system.

8. Increase low moisture levels in the home and prevent the release of mold into the air when using humidifiers by using Germ-Free Humidifiers that kill mold and bacteria before moist air is released into the room.

9. Remove the build-up of molds and bacteria and clean your home without irritating chemicals with a home Vapor Steam Cleaning System. 

10. Control excess indoor humidity with adequate ventilation and the use of dehumidifiers and air conditioners as necessary.

Sources and Potential Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollutants

For more detailed information on Indoor Air Quality visit in our Indoor Air Quality section of the Education Center or go to the US EPA Indoor Air Quality Index website, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/atozindex.html.

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