Unhealthy Toxins in your Home Air and 5 Easy Fixes

I am excited to share this sponsored contributed post since air quality is such an important factor in our lives. As you may know, I do environmental compliance at work, which includes air quality permit support. While my job is to assist our clients in compliance with permits and emission limits for outdoor equipment, indoor air quality is just as important. Keep reading for some great tips on improving the air quality in your home and learn more about this new smart device.

 

 

If you suffer from mild seasonal allergies like me, the beginning of summer brings a sigh of relief. But for parents of kids with asthma and other breathing difficulties, summer can bring a whole host of problems. High temperatures can trigger breathing problems, and ozone action days can keep even those with the strongest lungs inside.  Worse, staying inside doesn’t always help!

 

Worldwide, breathing dirty air kills over 7 million people prematurely every year through strokes, heart disease, and even diabetes. Unfortunately, women and children are the most affected. Even if you don’t have asthma, this affects you. In the US, 4 out of 10 people live in counties with unhealthy air, according to the American Lung Association, and 1 in 13 Americans have asthma, according to the CDC.  Why this is is not completely understood, it is linked to pollution both inside and outside.

 

I used to think that closing my doors and windows was enough to keep the pollution out. It turns out that when scientists measure indoor air in homes, offices, and even schools, it’s almost always worse than outdoor air. These studies find high levels of toxins that include smoke or soot (scientists call these “particulate matter” or PM) and chemical vapors called “volatile organic compounds” (scientists abbreviate these as VOCs). Smoke or soot from cooking can penetrate deep into your lungs and even into your bloodstream. Man-made materials like vinyl, sofas, windows, and household cleaning products contain VOCs. These volatile gasses can irritate the lungs and trigger breathing problems.

 

Overwhelming evidence shows that particle pollution can kill, according to the American Lung Association. 

Worried? Don’t stress- there are several simple steps you can use to breathe easy at home. Most of these are free, cheap, or can even save you money in the long run!

1. If you have an HVAC system, replace or wash the filters regularly, and consider buying an air purifier for your bedroom.
2. If you’re doing home renovations, look for “low-VOC” or “low-odor” paint.
3. If you’ve recently bought a mattress, anything with plywood or particleboard, or other products made with non-natural materials, open your windows as much as possible (or run your air purifier) to let the fumes vent.
4. Avoid air fresheners and scented candles- these mask odors with chemicals rather than clean. Use these sparingly, and open a window after. For example, I love a relaxing bath with scented candles- open your bathroom window.
5. When cooking with high heat, turn on your vent hood (but only if it vents outside-otherwise open a window or door).

 

 

These tips can help everybody but are especially critical when children with asthma enter your home. And if you have asthma in your house, some of these tips may be familiar already.

Want to know if you have any of these issues in your air? My company is developing a smart device that measures what’s in your air and recommends simple, personalized steps to keep you breathing easy. We’re currently looking for parents to pilot our device: sign up now at Troposphere!

Can you use any of these steps? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Author Bio
Dr. Anna Scott (Ph.D.) is an environmental scientist and the CEO of Troposphere {tropo.cc), a company making smart devices that measure what’s in your air and recommends simple, personalized steps to keep you breathing easy.

 

Want to read more about indoor air and health? Check out the EPA’s website.