While air pollution is often regarded as an outdoor problem stemming from car exhaust, industrial emissions and more, you should know that your indoor air can be polluted too. In fact, indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and at times may be more than 100 times higher!2
Given that the majority of the air you breathe is coming from your indoor environment, it’s important to take your indoor air quality into account when looking out for your, and your family’s, health.
Why is Indoor Air so Toxic?
Most homes are now designed to be energy efficient, and this means they’re well insulated and have very few air exchanges between indoor and outdoor air. If your home is not well ventilated and contains the numerous sources of indoor air pollution common to most indoor environments, there’s a good chance you’re breathing dirty air in your home.
Some sources of indoor air pollution, like cigarette smoke, are obvious, but others are more insidious. Common sources of indoor pollutants include:
- Building materials (including flooring, paint, etc.)
- Carpeting
- Cabinetry or furniture made of pressed-wood products
- Household cleaning products
- Central heating and cooling systems
- Humidification devices
- Radon
- Air fresheners
- Combustion sources (oil, gas, kerosene, coal and wood)
- Personal care products (hair spray, nail polish, fragrance, etc.)
- Materials used for hobbies (glues, epoxy, paint strippers, etc.)
- Pesticides
Anytime you spray a pesticide, cleaning product or air freshener in your home, or use paint or other industrial products, you’re releasing a slew of chemicals. Those chemicals, many which have been linked to health problems, accumulate first in your air and then settle down into your household dust. Anytime you walk through a room, that dust gets stirred up into the air once again, where you breathe it in.
Tips for Improving Your Indoor Air Quality
Winter is an ideal time to take stock of your indoor air, as it may be many months before you crack a window to let some fresh air in. What can you do to keep your home’s air as pure as possible?
- 1. Minimize Pollutant Sources: Avoid spraying pesticides, chemical cleaners, air fresheners and other synthetic products in your home. Also minimize your use of paint thinner and other solvents, and look for non-toxic, low-VOC or zero-VOC paints.
If you will be purchasing new furniture, carpeting, cabinetry or flooring, look for those made of green building materials, as these will not outgas VOCs the way conventional building supplies will.
2. Increase Ventilation: Most heating and cooling systems do not circulate fresh air into your home, so in order to help keep your home well-ventilated you should consider using window or attic fans, kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, or a window air conditioner with the vent control open.
Opening windows as weather permits is also important, especially when you’re using products that generate high levels of pollutants (such as paint or paint thinner).
Some newer homes may also have the option of air-to-air heat exchangers, which bring outdoor air into the home while still being energy efficient.
3. Test Your Home for Radon: Testing radon levels in your home is the only way to detect it. Contact a qualified radon service professional in your area to find out about testing and, if levels are elevated, steps for removal.
4. Control Moisture: Keeping the humidity level in your home between 30-60 percent will help keep dust mites, mold and mildew under control.8 You should also take care to keep areas where moisture collects, like basements and bathrooms, well ventilated, dry and clean. Be especially diligent with cleaning humidifiers regularly and using fresh water daily, as these are common breeding grounds for mold and other biological contaminants.
5. Keep Your Home Clean: Regularly dusting and vacuuming your home will help keep dust mites, pollen, dander, and certain other biological air pollutants to a minimum.
6. Consider an Air Cleaner: Air filters and cleaners can help to remove toxins from your home’s air, but they vary widely in effectiveness. For instance, most table-top models will not remove particles from the air as well as whole-house systems.
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