I spent the better part of this week battling a severe cold, sore throat, etc. The rest of the time was spent trying to figure out how it was that I got sick in the first place (I hate being sick and try to maintain a lifestyle that prevents me from having to deal with illnesses). The time I wasted trying to re-track my steps was fruitless, save for the fact that I stumbled upon some interesting information about hazardous pollutants that hide in all of our households (for about an hour I was convinced my sickness was triggered by high concentrations of toxic chemicals, but that may have been just been the medication kicking in).
In all seriousness, the statistics are startling. Did you know that we inhale approximately 23,000 times each day, and during that time our lungs suck in 35 pounds of oxygen? The only problem: while we take in the oxygen that is vital to live, we are also breathing in hazardous pollutants that aren’t so good for us.
In fact, studies show that, even in urban areas, the concentration of toxic chemicals was higher indoors than outdoors–in some cases 10, 20, 30, and even up to 70 times higher. The same studies showed that what we breathe not only enters our lungs, but travels through our bodies. (Note: this next bit of information is what convinced me that my “cold” was a sign of impending doom.) Study samples showed residues of gasoline on the breath of some people hours after filling their gas tanks, while a short visit to the dry cleaner resulted in tetrachloroethylene on the breath.
What’s more, health care experts say the same type of problems are in our own homes. So what can we do to control the problem? Here are some tips:
· Eliminate all cigarette smoke.
· Control by-products from gas appliances, kerosene heaters, fireplaces, and woodstoves.
· Switch from wall-to-wall carpet to hardwood floors.
· Avoid formaldehyde emissions from particleboard.
· Limit scented beauty and hygiene products.
· Go easy on the amount of toxic cleaning products and pesticides you use in your home.
· Ventilation is Key. Proper ventilation allows indoor air pollutants to escape, and exchanges polluted indoor air for cleaner outdoor air. Keep your windows open as much as weather allows. Even better, invest in a window fan or whole-house exhaust fan. If you have a skylight keep it open because pollutants tend to rise and will easily float out through an opening in the roof. Also opening windows or doors on opposite sides of a room creates cross-ventilation.
· Air Filters. Experts say to use air filters as a last resort. Try to solve indoor air pollution by removing pollutants at their source or diluting them with added ventilation, BEFORE you buy air filters. However, if you live in a place where you have an air problem you can’t otherwise solve—such as living in an apartment above a nail salon—then purchasing the air filters only makes sense
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Purchasing A Home Air Purifier-Part 1
Purchasing A Home Air Purifier–Part 2
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