Improving Indoor Air Quality During High Pollution Season

NEW YORK, New York, June 17, 2004 (ENS) - For people with breathing problems, summer can be a difficult time. Pollen seems to be everywhere and in cities, vehicle and industrial emissions are cooked by the sun into ground level ozone - a brown smog that clouds the air.

While Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, the American Lung Association says most people do not realize that the air in their homes can contribute to health problems, particularly during peak summer months when ozone pollution is highest.

"Indoor air pollutants like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and tobacco and cooking smoke particles can cause asthma attacks, as well as itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose," said John Kirkwood, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.

Some of these substances are in every home, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is impossible to get rid of them all. Even a spotless home may permit the growth of biological pollutants. Two conditions are essential to support biological growth: nutrients and moisture. These conditions can be found in many locations, such as bathrooms, damp or flooded basements, wet appliances such as humidifiers or air conditioners, and even some carpets and furniture.

(Photo by David Scharf courtesy National Library of Medicine)

Asthma affects about 20 million Americans, including 6.3 million children. Radon and tobacco smoke can cause even more dangerous health effects, including lung cancer, the association says.

"Keeping the air in your home clean is particularly important for people with asthma or allergies," Kirkwood said, "but the quality of indoor air is something all Americans should be concerned about."

The American Lung Association recommends these strategies for reducing indoor air pollution:

• Control the source: Reduce or remove as many asthma or allergy triggers from your home as possible; pay attention to dust mites, controlling them especially in the bedroom; keep pets outside whenever possible; wash all bedding weekly in hot water; don't allow anyone to smoke indoors.

• Ventilate: Keep the windows open as often as possible to allow air to circulate. When the temperature, pollution index or pollen count are high, use an air conditioner to allow the windows and doors to stay closed while air circulates. Test your home for radon and, if present in high levels, add ventilation to remove it.

• Filter the Air: This can be done several ways, such as by using high-efficiency filters that meet the American Lung Association Health House Guidelines to help capture airborne particles and common household allergens, such as pollen, pet dander, dust and mold spores that pass through the air.

When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

"There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture," the EPA says.

Moisture problems and their solutions differ from one climate to another. The Northeast is cold and wet, the Southwest is hot and dry, the South is hot and wet, and the Western Mountain states are cold and dry. All of these regions can have moisture problems.

For example, the EPA says, evaporative coolers used in the Southwest can encourage the growth of biological pollutants.

In other hot regions, the use of air conditioners which cool the air too quickly may prevent the air conditioners from running long enough to remove excess moisture from the air. The types of construction and weatherization for the different climates can lead to different problems and solutions.

The EPA recommends that residents fix leaks and seepage. If water is entering the house from the outside, options range from simple landscaping to extensive excavation and waterproofing.

Mold is discovered on the underside of wallpaper. (Photo courtesy EPA)

Put a plastic cover over dirt in crawlspaces to prevent moisture from coming in from the ground, the EPA says, and be sure crawlspaces are well-ventilated.

Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to remove moisture to the outside, not into the attic. Vent the clothes dryer to the outside.

Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners, especially in hot, humid climates, to reduce moisture in the air, says the EPA, but be sure that the appliances themselves do not become sources of biological pollutants.

"Pay special attention to carpet on concrete floors," the EPA recommends. Carpet can absorb moisture and serve as a place for biological pollutants to grow. Instead, use area rugs which can be taken up and washed often.

Standards or Threshold Limit Values for airborne concentrations of mold, or mold spores, have not been set. Currently, there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants.

Radon, a colorless, odorless gas, kills thousands of Americans each year, the EPA says. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and nearly one in 15 homes in the United States has a high level of indoor radon.

Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all the major health organizations - like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association - agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.

Homes new and old can be contaminated with radon. (Photo courtesy EPA)

High radon levels have been found in every state. Radon problems do vary from area to area, but the only way to know the home's radon level is to test.

There are solutions to radon problems in homes. The EPA says that thousands of home owners have lowered elevated radon levels in their homes. Radon levels can be readily lowered for $800 to $2,500.

To people who say they have lived in their homes for so long, it does not make sense to take action now, the EPA says, "You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you have lived with an elevated radon level for a long time."

Visit the American Lung Association at: http://www.lungusa.org.

The U.S. EPA has much information about cleaning molds, testing for radon and indoor air quality generally at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/index.html