Poor Indoor Air Quality a Serious Health Hazard

Denise Horton

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Nov. 10, 2009

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3 min read

Mention air pollution, and most people think of factories,
freeways and foul-smelling
smog. But many pollutants are inside your home.

“Carbon monoxide, radon, lead, asbestos, molds, mildew
and tobacco smoke all
contribute to poor indoor air quality,” said Jorge Atiles
of the University of
Georgia.

Atiles is an Extension Service housing specialist and
assistant professor in the UGA
College of Family and Consumer Sciences. He said these indoor
health hazards can lead to
increased respiratory infections and asthma, and even worse.
“People can die as a
result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Atiles said.

October Emphasis in Georgia

To call attention to indoor-air-related illnesses, Gov. Roy
Barnes declared October to
be “Home Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month” in
Georgia.

Atiles said his college has joined state and federal
agencies, and community, industry
and environmental groups to help combat the problems.

The goal, he said, is to help people learn how to assess
home and office air quality
and combat the problems associated with poor air quality. It’s
part of the national
program, “Healthy Indoor Air for America’s
Homes.”

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke

Photo: Dan
Rahn

Parents’ commitment to
smoke outside can spare their children the respiratory infections
related to secondhand smoke.

Some indoor air problems are easy to reduce, Atiles said.
Secondhand tobacco smoke is a
good example.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that
7,500 to 15,000 children
under 18 months are hospitalized each year for severe
respiratory infections as a result
of second-hand smoke,” Atiles said.

“If parents would commit to stepping outside when they
smoke and not smoke in
their cars, we could tremendously reduce these problems,”
he said.

Allergies, Asthma, Molds &
Mildew

Indoor air greatly affects allergies and asthma, too. More
than 50 million Americans
suffer from these diseases. The EPA figures about 4,000 die
each year from asthma.

Pollen and outdoor air pollution influence these diseases,
of course. But many problems
are found inside homes and schools.

High humidity indoors, for instance, can make molds and
mildew grow more, triggering
asthma attacks.

“Dealing effectively with allergies and asthma requires
a combination of efforts
that include appropriate medical care,” Atiles said.

People, though, can do much more than just go to the doctor.
Atiles cites two things
that reduce indoor molds and mildew. One, keep indoor humidity
levels low. And two,
regularly change or clean heating and air-conditioning
filters.

“These simple things can make a tremendous difference
in the seriousness of these
diseases,” he said.

Carbon Monoxide Deadly

Carbon monoxide can be one of the home’s deadliest
pollutants. But it’s one of the
easiest to deal with. The colorless, odorless gas kills by
blocking the blood’s ability to
carry oxygen. Fuel-burning furnaces, water heaters, ranges,
space heaters, wood stoves and
fireplaces can produce it.

Here are the best ways to keep carbon monoxide from becoming
a problem, Atiles said.

Have a qualified technician clean and check your heating
system each year.

Make sure the chimney flue is open when you start a
fire.

Maintain a fresh air supply anytime you use fuel-fired
space heaters.

Use a vent fan whenever you use your kitchen stove
top.

Never let a car warm up in an attached garage without
opening the garage door.

Extension Service Contacts

In Georgia, the UGA Extension Service is the contact for the
“Healthy Indoor Air
for America’s Homes” program. FACS county agents can tell
you more about making sure
the air in your home is clean and healthy.