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Which is worse: The air inside or the air outdoors?
Most Americans know about the dangers of outdoor air pollution, especially near cities and industrial areas. Pollution from vehicle exhaust, emissions from factories, and use of chemicals contribute to outdoor air pollution. Ozone action days, which warn you that outdoor air quality is unhealthy, are common in many areas. During ozone action days, people are encouraged to limit their time outside; and those who are considered "at risk" (young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems) are encouraged to stay inside. But is the air inside any better? People in America currently spend about 90% of their time indoors. The air that you breathe inside your home (as well as in your office, stores, or other indoor areas) is becoming more and more polluted. This is a MAJOR concern if you spend most of your time indoors, especially during ozone action days, when you're told to stay indoors in order to limit your exposure to air pollution! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cited that many people have a greater health risk when they are inside than when they are outside. EPA studies showed that household products (like paint, varnish, wax, cleaners, degreasers, disinfectants, certain kinds of air fresheners, cosmetics, and hobby products) produce about a DOZEN organic pollutants (chemicals that contain carbon) that are TWO to FIVE times higher INSIDE homes than OUTSIDE. And it does not matter if the home is located in a rural area or in a highly industrial area! So that means that no matter where you live, it can be hazardous to your health to be inside! WHAT MAKES THE AIR INSIDE SO DANGEROUS? Indoor pollution sources ("sources") that release gas or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in houses. When pollutants are outside, they have a lot of air to dissipate into, but pollutants inside of a house cannot dissipate as well because there's a limited amount of air. When you combine pollutants in a limited air space with the fact that most houses are not built to bring in "fresh", or outside air, the air in a house can quickly become contaminated. There are many sources of air pollution in any home: 1. combustion sources (unvented or malfunctioning stoves, furnaces, or space heaters; tobacco products) 2. building materials and furnishings (deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation; wet or damp carpet; cabinetry or furniture made of a certain kind of pressed wood) 3. products used for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies (paint, paint strippers, varnish, wax, cleansers, degreasers, disinfectants, moth repellants, certain kinds of air fresheners, cosmetics, aerosol sprays, wood preservatives, stored fuels and automotive products, dry-cleaned clothing, glues and adhesives, permanent markers, photographic solutions) 4. certain home office products (copiers, printers, correction fluids, carbonless copy paper) 5. central heating and cooling systems and humidifiers 6. outdoor pollution sources that "leak" into a house (such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution). The amount of air pollution depends on how many of these sources of pollution are in your house. A single source of pollution may not be too harmful by itself, but the air quality in your home can decrease when more than one source of pollution exists. Some sources release pollutants fairly continuously, such as: 1. building materials 2. furnishings 3. household products (like mothballs and certain kinds of air fresheners). Intermittent sources produce pollutants only when a certain activity is being carried out (such as smoking, cleaning, or working on a hobby). However, the pollutant concentrations that they produce can remain in the air for long periods of time after the activity is finished. Sources that release pollutants intermittently include: 1. smoking 2. the use of unvented or malfunctioning stoves, space heaters, and furnaces 3. the use of solvents/chemicals in and around the house (cleaning, hobby activities, using paint strippers, using pesticides). HOW CAN YOU FIX AND/ OR PREVENT INDOOR AIR POLLUTION? What can you do to prevent / control pollutants from contaminating your indoor air? First of all, you can work to eliminate or control the source(s) of air pollution. This can be done by sealing off or enclosing the source (sealing paneling, sealing asbestos-containing material, removing wet carpet) and adjusting stoves, space heaters, and furnaces to decrease the amount of chemicals that they put off. Secondly, you can improve the amount of ventilation within your house. With this approach, you increase the amount of outdoor air that enters your house. Contaminants are removed or reduced when inside air is "exchanged" with outside air. Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into a house (whereas many commercial units do), so you will want to periodically open your windows and doors. You can also turn on window or attic fans. If you have a window air conditioner, periodically run it with the vent control open, which will bring in outdoor air. Local bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans will remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and bring in outdoor air at the same time. Take care to increase ventilation when performing activities that produce intermittent pollution (such as smoking, hobbies or cleaning). If possible, perform these activities outside, where the pollutants can be dissipated more quickly. Ask family and friends to smoke outside. Open windows or turn on bathroom and kitchen vents while cleaning. You can also use a room fan to direct air towards a window or door when you are cleaning or using chemicals. Lastly, you can use air filters, cleaners and purifiers. There are many models from various manufacturers, ranging from individual room units to whole-house systems. You will want to look for a couple of things in your air cleaner: how well it collects or removes pollutants from your indoor air, and how much air is affected by the cleaning or filtering element. Cleaners that work on air that passes through the unit will need to be moved from room to room frequently; and cleaners that filter the air in the air space can purify the air in an entire home without filters and quarterly maintenance. Most, but not all, air cleaners remove particles from the air and are limited at removing gaseous pollutants, so find out the capabilities of the unit you are considering. Indoor air pollution does not have to be a scary thing. If you take the proper steps to reduce and prevent air pollution, you can breathe easier in the areas where you spend most of your time. © 2003 Frances Royo. All Rights Reserved. Frances is co-owner of Blue Solutions (with her husband and business partner John), which is an independent dealership for EcoQuest International. She has written articles related to air, water, and energy, and provides solutions for healthy living. http://www.ecoquestint.com/jroyo
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