10 Impacts on Residential Indoor Air Quality

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We spend a large part of our lives indoors yet the idea of indoor air pollution can be easy to dismiss—especially if no one in our home has health problems. The unfortunate catch is that while the impacts of indoor air pollution can show up soon after exposure, they can also show up years later as cancers, reproductive health problems and more. 10 Pollutants with Punch Depending on your situation, the indoor pollutants affecting you vary. Here are 10 potential impacts. Lead paint, particulates and more are potential air quality hazards in projects such as this renovation that stripped a room in an old house to the studs. © Mameframe Photography 1. Volatile organic compounds. VOCs are chemical compounds that can off-gas, or evaporate easily, in normal temperatures and pressures. Impacts vary from headaches and dizziness to increased cancer risk, depending on the individual and combination of VOCs and the level and length of exposure. We introduce VOCs into our homes through our choices in paints, cleansers, hobby supplies, furniture, cabinetry, stored fuels, dry cleaning and more. Anthony Bernheim, FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects), LEED Accredited Professional, indoor air quality expert and principal Sustainable Design Solutions for HDR Architecture, Inc. in San Francisco, Calif., says that air testing in an office building by the state of California found that chemicals from dry cleaning were in the indoor air and being transmitted to the building from dry-cleaned clothing brought from employees’ homes. He notes that even where a vehicle is parked at home can make an impact. Vehicles emit VOCs, particulates and, in some cases, diesel particulate and gases, and continue to emit after the motor is switched off. To reduce risks, buy products that are low- or no VOC emitting. If you do choose products with VOC emissions, read product labels and obey cautions. Dispose of old or unneeded containers during special community toxic waste collection drives or check with your local government about disposal. Bernheim suggests finding an environmental drycleaner. As an alternative, remove dry cleaning from its plastic bag; bring it home in the car trunk, not cabin; and air out clothes for a few days in a well-ventilated area before bringing them inside. 2. Ozone. “Climate change is bringing increased sunlight and warmer temperatures to some areas,” says Bernheim. “Those hot sunny days trigger the formation of ground-level ozone, an odorless gas which can cause respiratory problems.” But there is an added catch. “Open your window and the ozone moves inside. There it causes secondary reactions with emissions from household sources that are different from—and, at times—more harmful than initial concerns.  “Once the secondary compounds are formed, they are absorbed into building materials and then emitted or ‘desorbed’ into the air over a long time,” says Bernheim. He says one study found products containing pine and citrus oils produced formaldehyde and ultrafine particles when elevated levels of ozone were present.

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