How clean is the air in your home?

It's possible that the products, chemicals and building materials inside your home could have as negative an effect on the air you breathe as that steel mill down the street. The good news is that there's plenty you can do to reduce indoor air pollution.

By: Janice Hamilton

  If you are like most North Americans, you spend 90% of your time indoors, so the quality of the air you breathe indoors is very important. Some experts believe increased rates of asthma are linked to poor indoor environments, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rates poor indoor air quality as a serious health risk. However, the air inside many Canadian homes is more polluted than it is outdoors.
  For example, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paints, solvents, wood preservatives, household cleaners, hobby supplies, and dry-cleaned clothing can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, nausea, dizziness and skin problems.
  Biological pollutants, including molds, mildews and bacteria, can cause respiratory illness and other diseases. Sources can include wet spots in basements, bathrooms and kitchens, damp carpets, and dirty humidifiers.
  Cigarette smoke, smoke from fireplaces, deadly carbon monoxide from garages and improperly adjusted kitchen and heating appliances, and radon, a radioactive gas from natural sources, can also be present in homes.
 

Health Canada should be given the lead role to co-ordinate indoor air quality issues and put some accountability in the system

  New air-cleaning technologies and low-emission products are coming on the market, but consumers are often unable to make informed choices about buying and using products, says Ian Morton of Pollution Probe. Canadian regulations requiring manufacturers to disclose information about emissions are not enforced, but Morton adds that a European labeling program has been very successful.
  Although new construction techniques that address indoor environment issues have been developed, few of these innovations have been applied to building codes. Furthermore, Morton notes, a buyer or tenant has no legal recourse if he discovers an older home has problems with mold or radon.
  "The U.S. is ten to twenty years ahead of Canada" on indoor air quality issues, Morton says, suggesting that Health Canada should be given the lead role to co-ordinate indoor air quality issues and put some accountability in the system.
  But while you wait for government action, there are many things you can do as an individual to improve air quality in your home. So if you suspect the air in your home is making you sick, consider do-it-yourself remedies such as these:

• If you are building or renovating, use low- or no-emission wood products, paints and glues. Consider easy-to-clean tile or hardwood floors, and seal particleboard with polyurethane varnish or latex paint.
• Ventilation is key. Many new homes have mechanical ventilation systems, but in older homes, you can open windows to replace stale air with fresh. If you use a strong cleanser, pesticide or product that instructs you to use it in a well-ventilated area, let the fumes escape through a fan or window, or use it outside. Also, increase ventilation for the first days or weeks after you install new carpets or furnishings.
• Control potential pollution sources coming into your home. Don't bring in dry-cleaned items if they still smell. Only buy the amount of paints and solvents you expect to use immediately, and keep lids on tight. Don't allow smoking in your home. Ensure that your central heating system is professionally maintained annually, that wood stoves don't leak and that your gas stove has an exhaust fan to the outside.
• Reduce biological pollutants by ensuring your kitchen, basement and bathrooms are well-vented and that wet carpets are dried thoroughly. If you have a humidifier, clean it daily. Get a dehumidifier to deal with damp areas. Finally, don't forget to empty water trays in air conditioners, humidifiers and refrigerators.

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