by Julie Kim
Staff Writer
Most Americans know about the dangers of outdoor air pollution, especially near cities and industrial areas; however, 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.
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 percent of their time indoors.
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 has cited that many people have greater health risk when they are inside than when they are outside.
EPA studies show that household products like paint, varnish, wax, cleaners, de-greasers, disinfectants, certain kinds of air fresheners, cosmetics and hobby products produce about a dozen organic pollutants.
These are chemicals that contain carbon and 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.
Indoor pollution sources that release gas or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality 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 is 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.
What can you do to prevent or 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 by sealing paneling and asbestos-containing material and removing wet carpet. Adjustments can be made to 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.
