10 Impacts on Residential Indoor Air Quality

To lessen impacts, be aware of local ozone levels if you plan to use certain products. Check the Air Quality Index that calculates for ozone and four other major pollutants across the country. Reduce or eliminate VOC sources in your home that may react with ozone. Be aware of your sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx), gases that also react with ozone. Lawn and garden equipment are among offenders. 3. Occupation and location pollutants. Where we work and where we live also affect the air we breathe inside our homes. “Many people work in businesses or industries that generate airborne chemical pollutants,” says Bernheim. EPA Indoor AirPlus, an EPA program that focuses on indoor air quality “Autobody repair, paint shops, industrial plants, manufacturing sites may all contain chemical pollutants that attach to the clothes that we wear. We bring them home on our clothing, walk them into our carpets and they then release into the indoor air.” Where we live also is a factor. On warm sunny days, a person may think opening a window might improve the indoor air but that depends. “Those who live near freeways or on a street corner subject to traffic stopping and starting face the added pollutants of diesel, a greenhouse gas, as well as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone,” Bernheim says. To reduce the impacts, take a shower after work and/or remove work clothing and shoes before entering your home. Before opening windows, be aware of local air quality. If you live near a freeway, opening windows at 8 a.m. may bring in particulate matter, diesel and carbon emissions from the rush hour. At noon, the scenario changes with perhaps lower traffic but more problems caused by sunlight. Check the Air Quality Index.  4. Radon. It may be tasteless, odorless and invisible, but radon gas in indoor air can mean lung cancer. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Radon is produced when naturally occurring uranium decays in soil and water. The gas seeps into homes through foundation cracks or seams. While general radon zones help agencies better target resources, the EPA suggests that all homes be tested because elevated levels have been found in each zone. Test kits that are state-certified or meet the requirements of a national radon proficiency program can be expensive. Homeowners may also decide to hire a trained, qualified contractor to conduct the testing. It’s typically best to test during the heating season because ventilating the house by opening windows and doors frequently can skew the results. A short-term test takes at least two days and can last up to six days. If test results come back with a high radon level, a second short-term test can be taken and the results averaged. A long-term test of more than 90 days may provide more typical results for year-round exposure. Before beginning a test, keep the house closed for at least 12 hours. There is no known safe level of exposure. The EPA bases its estimate of radon-related lung cancers on the average radon concentration of 1.3 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) in the indoor air of U.S. homes. The average concentration in outdoor air is 0.4 pCi/L. The EPA suggests radon eradication in your home if the radon level is 4 pCi/L and to consider eradication if the measurement is between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.

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