10 Impacts on Residential Indoor Air Quality

5. Lead. Although the  Product Safety Commission was issued a ban in 1977, the EPA suggests there are millions of homes that still contain some lead-based paint. Adverse effects are now known to occur at much lower levels of lead in blood than previously thought. Many homeowners may unknowingly expose their household to lead dust when paint is scraped, sanded or stripped or painted areas are demolished. Even without renovations, lead-based paint can deteriorate, releasing dust. Besides lead dust from projects, airborne lead particles can come from tracking contaminated soil indoors and using lead in soldering or stained-glass making, says Dale Kemery, EPA press officer. Portable scrubbers purify the air of dust and chemical fumes during a remodeling. Credit: Tri-Lite Builders Starting in April 2010, the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program rule from the EPA takes effect. It mandates lead-safe work practices and certification and training for paid contractors and maintenance professionals working in pre-1978 housing, as well as child-care facilities and schools. Although the new requirements cover homes where children age six and under and pregnant mothers reside, lead dust can affect people of any age. Those who plan DIY projects will want to learn safe practices. One guide is the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide. For additional safety precautions, see the BobVila.com article, “Renovating a Home that has Lead Paint.” 6. Asbestos. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, you can't tell simply by looking at something where it contains this mineral fiber unless it’s labeled. Asbestos was once used in floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roof shingles, flashing, siding, in insulation around ducts, pipes and fireplaces, and in vermiculite attic insulation, among other places. “Asbestos becomes a major concern as people remodel, weatherize, rehab or demolish old homes,” says Michael Vogel, Ed.D., Montana State University, head of the Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Home program. The problem is that if disturbed, deteriorated or damaged, asbestos materials may release fibers. Asbestos has a long-term impact that is related to the number of loose fibers inhaled. Those fibers end up raising the risks of chest and abdominal cancers and lung diseases. Before demolishing an area or working in an area with damaged or deteriorating materials that are in question, contact a qualified professional to test samples or to take control measures. If not done correctly, even testing can cause problems. If asbestos material is undamaged and unlikely to be disturbed, the CPSC suggests it be left alone. 7. Biological contaminants. Mold, bacteria, mildew, animal dander, cat saliva, mites, cockroaches and pollen give us everything from allergic rhinitis and lethargy to asthma. Two key ingredients to these pollutants are moisture and nutrients. Vogel says homeowners may have misconceptions about these contaminants. “ ‘We live in a very arid location’ so there is the idea that mold is not a problem here,” he says. “But that’s outside. Inside, people compensate for the dryness by adding moisture with no sense of how much to add. They can over-humidify their homes and create moisture problems even in an arid environment.” In addition, people add insulation and tighten their homes to save on energy costs but may not check resulting humidity levels. Here are some guidelines for your household. Keep indoor relative humidity at 30 to 50 percent to inhibit the growth of some biologicals. Remove water-damaged materials. Repair leaking pipes. Eliminate any damp environments that allow molds, mildew, bacteria or insects to flourish.

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