Clearing the Air: How To Avoid Indoor Air Pollutants

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Chemical Pollutants

A 2003 study published in Environmental Science & Technology and conducted by the Silent Spring Institute, an environmental health organization, found 66 endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which interfere with reproductive function in animal studies, in the vacuum-cleaner dust of all the 120 homes studied. In a 2005 study by Clean Production Action (CPA), a Canadian-based nonprofit, researchers found EDCs, including phthalates, alkylphenols, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organotins and perfluorinated compounds, in the vacuum-cleaner dust of all 70 homes they tested.

"Generally, concentrations of these chemicals are much, much higher indoors than outdoors, and it's because they're coming from sources indoors," says Ruthann Rudel, M.S., senior scientist and lead author on the Silent Spring Institute study.

Many of these EDCs are also volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which readily evaporate out of products and have in some cases been linked to cancer and nervous system and respiratory problems. (See "Problem Pollutants" chart, left.)

Gases and Combustion By-products

Carbon monoxide (CO) fumes from leaking or improperly vented gas and wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, oil-burning furnaces and attached garages can cause headache, fatigue, flu-like symptoms and death. Every home should have combination CO/smoke alarms, but don't rely entirely on a detector to catch the problem, as "these are sort of like Band-Aids," says Michael Vogel, program director for the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes project. To be safest, "Go to the source of where the problem would be," Vogel advises. Maintain your appliances to keep them from leaking, ensure proper ventilation whenever using a fireplace and gas- or wood-burning stove, and have your chimneys and vents assessed by a reputable heating contractor or your utility company. And declare your home a no-smoking zone, as cigarette smoke also contains CO. Other dangerous combustion gases include nitrogen dioxide, benzene and toluene.

Radon, a colorless, tasteless gas that forms as naturally occurring uranium decays in soil and water, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in America. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one in every 15 homes nationwide has elevated levels of radon, and recommends that concentrations of above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) be quickly mitigated by a professional. A University of Iowa study published in the March 2005 Epidemiology found an 11 to 21 percent increase in lung-cancer risk when average residential radon levels reached approximately 3.0 pCi/L over five to 30 years.

If you're suddenly contemplating the purchase of a ventilator and a HAZMAT suit, don't worry. All homes have some level of indoor air pollutants, whether from mites or mildew, household products, fireplaces, appliances or matter, such as pollen or vehicle exhaust, that gets carried or blown in from the outside. But less toxic products and diligent home maintainence will keep pollutants under control and let you enjoy a few more symptom-free days by the fire—which will be properly ventilated, of course.

What You Can Do

The easiest way to improve the quality of your indoor air is to clean well and often, and never let dangerous VOCs, EDCs and gases inside to begin with. "The less you bring in through the choices you make in purchasing will help reduce the amount of VOCs that are in your home right off the bat," says Nolen.