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Home Improvement : Indoor Pollutants May Cause Respiratory Problems

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QUESTION: Recently, my wife and I have had more bouts with colds and flu than usual. I’ve read about indoor air pollution in homes. Could this be our problem? Our house is 10 years old. How do I find out about indoor pollutants, and how do I get my house tested for them?

ANSWER: Yes, it is possible that some of your problems are due to indoor pollutants. First of all, consult your health-care provider if you haven’t already. Some common household pollutants, such as formaldehyde (particle board, pressed wood products, etc.) and household chemicals (pesticides, cleaning agents, paints, etc.) produce eye, nose and throat irritation.

If you still feel you have an indoor pollution problem after consulting your health-care provider, you should consider reviewing the literature available from state and regional agencies. By becoming more informed you may likely solve your problem yourself, or at least become a more knowledgeable consumer when hiring a private testing firm.

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Use your Yellow Pages or directory assistance to help locate private testing laboratories that specialize in indoor air testing. These should be listed under Air Pollution Measuring Services or Laboratories-Testing.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

The air inside a building contains many substances that could potentially be either harmful to human health or damaging to the quality of the building itself. If the concentration of one or more of these substances were to become great enough, the building would have poor indoor air quality.

Typical persistent symptoms of an indoor air quality problem include: irritation of the eyes, nose or throat; headache, cough, dizziness, runny nose, breathing difficulty, nausea, diarrhea and/or rashes. The symptoms are most often severe during warm humid weather and when the heating and cooling season begins.

Examples of indoor air pollutants include:

Moisture: A typical family of four produces up to four gallons of water vapor per day. High indoor humidity levels promote building damage as well as health problems, such as respiratory troubles and diseases.

Formaldehyde: Interior particle board, plywood and other construction furnishings commonly contain formaldehyde. The glues used in these building materials emit formaldehyde. Improperly installed formaldehyde foam insulation can emit formaldehyde. Symptoms involve eye and respiratory irritation.

Indoor Combustion Pollutants: Boilers, furnaces, gas-fired cook stoves, fireplaces, kerosene heaters and others can generate a variety of pollutants. The most commonly emitted gases include carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Unvented combustion appliances are a particular problem--the combustion products are emitted directly into the room air. High levels of carbon monoxide present well-known health dangers. Low levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides may cause several health problems.

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Tobacco Smoke: Tobacco smoke is a known danger. Yet one third of the adult population smokes tobacco in one form or another. Tobacco smoke consists of more than 2,000 chemical compounds. Many studies have shown that smoke reaching non-smokers can pose a health hazard.

Radon: Radon is a naturally occurring gas that breaks down into radioactive products. If you inhale large quantities over a long time, cancer may develop. Unlike some indoor pollutants, radon levels can be checked at an affordable cost. High radon levels often require professional help for monitoring and mitigation services.

Miscellaneous Pollutants: Household products and hobby materials contain many potential indoor pollutants. Aerosols are common and they can put an endless variety of toxic substances into the air.

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