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Indoor Air Quality

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Indoor Air Quality Home*A*SyHome*A*Sysstt for New Jersey Indoor Air Quality Reducing Health Risks and Improving the Air You Breathe This worksheet identifies where indoor air problems Why should you be concerned? come from, and what can Clean air is a precious asset -- fresh, full of oxygen, clean- be done to eliminate them. smelling, and without harmful pollutants. If you are like most Health hazards related to people, you spend at least half of your life inside your home. air quality can be serious, The air in many modern American homes, however, may not be but there are many fit to breathe. It can be more polluted and dangerous to your opportunities for action. health than the air outdoors, sometimes having five times the This assessment covers: pollution of outdoor air. If your home has poor air quality, it may be simply annoying or unpleasant, or it may lead to seri- 1. Identifying and ous health problems. controlling potential sources of air quality What are the signs of trouble? problems. ✔ Combustion by-products, It is not always easy to detect poor air quality. Although you can smell paint fumes and see smoke, many deadly gases, such as smoke and carbon such as carbon monoxide gas, are invisible and odorless. Com- monoxide mon health problems, such as irritated eyes and nose, head- ✔ Building materials, aches, dizziness, tiredness, asthma, viral infections, and respi- including carpets, wood ratory diseases may be due to substances in the air you products and paints breathe. Some serious effects of poor air quality, like lung ✔ Household products and cancer, may take many years to develop. People react differ- chemicals ✔ ently depending on their age, sensitivity, health status, and the Biological contaminants, type and length of exposure. like mildew, animal dander, and dust mites ✔ Radon, a radioactive Part 1 -- Identifying and Controlling gas Potential Sources of Air Quality 2. Managing your indoor air. Problems ✔ Ventilation ✔ Air cleaners Finding the source--or sources--of the problem should be your first step. If you do nothing else, dealing with the most Completing this worksheet troublesome sources will lead to better health for everyone who helps you evaluate risks to breathes the air in your home. Poor air quality is usually not your homes air quality, and the result of a single pollutant. Reducing health risks to you gives tips for reducing and your family may require several actions. Addressing prob- those risks. lems at the source is usually the most cost efficient approach. Simply clearing the air with more ventilation may not elimi- nate the problem, and can increase energy costs. S1 How many sources exist in your home? condition. Even a well running system can In tackling the problem of indoor air become a hazard if the chimney or flue be- pollution, you need to think in terms of the comes blocked and gases cannot escape. In specific pollutant, such as formaldehyde or addition, be alert for backdrafting. This occurs carbon monoxide. You also have to track when the indoor air pressure is lower than down the physical source of the pollutant, outdoor air pressure. Then, combustion such as a furnace or damp crawl space. This gases will be pulled back into the living space, assessment cannot cover all possible pollut- instead of being fully exhausted to the outside. ants and their sources, but it calls attention to Backdrafting is especially likely in a well the most common types and provides a start- sealed, energy efficient home. (See Home-A- ing point for investigation and action. Fill out Syst worksheet on Heating & Cooling Systems) the assessment questions that pertain to each of the five sections in Part 1. Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors look and operate much like a smoke detector. Some 1.1 Combustion by-products: What experts recommend that CO detectors be precautions are you taking? installed in all homes that have combustion Fuel burning appliances. Airborne com- appliances. However, the detectors will not bustion by-products come from oil and gas replace good maintenance of your heating furnaces, wood or gas stoves, fireplaces, kero- system. sene and gas space heaters, gas ranges, cooktops and water heaters, and automobiles. Pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, formaldehyde, smoke, and tiny breathable particles. These by-products should be vented to the outside to prevent accumulation in- doors. You should provide extra ventilation for space heaters and gas stoves that are designed for use without a chimney or flue. Carbon monoxide -- an odorless, colorless gas -- is a pollutant of special concern because it can kill. Symp- toms of exposure such as headaches, dizziness and nausea may be mistaken for other causes. A malfunc- Figure 1. Examples of fuel-burning appliances and tioning furnace or blocked devices that may be present in a home. flue pipe can result in car- bon monoxide levels that are fatal. Tobacco smoking. The smoke from If unsure about the safety of your com- cigarettes, cigars and pipes contains a wide bustion appliances, call the dealer or service range of throat and lung irritants, as well as professional for expert assistance. Yearly hazardous and cancer causing chemicals. A inspection is recommended for most heating smoky home environment puts everyone at systems. Like your car, your furnace needs risk, not just the smoker. cleaning and tune-ups to keep it in good S2 Assessment 1.1 -- Combustion By-Products pounds. Air pollutants can also come from old Use the assessment below to rate your or deteriorating materials, such as asbestos. combustion by-product risks. For each ques- High temperature and humidity can worsen tion, put the risk level number (1, 2, or 3) in the problem. the column labeled Your Risk. Although some choices may not correspond exactly to Pressed wood products. Pressed or your situation, choose the response that best manufactured wood products -- made from fits. wood chips or sawdust -- are widely used in home construction for flooring, sheathing, Responding to Risks shelving, and cabinets. Furniture is often Your goal is to lower your risks. Turn to made of manufactured wood products. The the Action Checklist on page 90 to record the particular concern is formaldehyde, which is medium and high risk practices you identified. used in the glues that hold these materials Use the recommendations above to help you together. Formaldehyde will off-gas, or be make plans to reduce your risks. released into the air, especially when the product is new. Some individuals may be very 1.2 How many building materials, wood sensitive to formaldehyde. Sealing the surface finishes, and home furnishings might be of the wood product will reduce formaldehyde affecting your indoor air? emissions. Manufactured wood products with Many products used to build and furnish low formaldehyde emissions are also available. a home can pollute indoor air. Four of the most common types are discussed here. Espe- Carpet. New carpets can release volatile cially when these materials are new, they can chemicals from carpet backing, padding, and release hazardous emissions into the air such fibers, as well as the finishes that give carpet- as formaldehyde and volatile organic com- ing its anti-static and soil-release properties. ASSESSMENT 1.1 -- Combustion By-Products LOW RISK MEDIUM RISK HIGH RISK YOUR RISK All combustion appliances vented Frequent use of to the outside. unvented Chimneys, flues, kerosene or gas Combustion gas/oil Inspected only space heaters. appliances, plus furnances, wood once or twice in Chimneys, flues, chimneys and stoves, and other the past five and combustion flues combustion years. devices not appliances inspected, or inspected and inspection record cleaned at least unknown. once a year. Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide detectors (only in detectors properly Detector installed No carbon homes with installed and but not tested monoxide combustion battery tested regularly. detector installed. regularly. appliances) Smoking Frequent Tobacco smoking permitted, but smoking or poor Tobacco smoking not permitted in only in well ventilation causes the home. ventilated areas. smoky indoor air. S3 Planning to install a new carpet? For better air quality, try to: 1. Choose a carpet that is certified by The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) to be a low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting carpet. 2. If you think that you may be especially sensitive, ask the carpet dealer to unroll the carpet and leave it in a well ventilated area for at least 24 hours before it is brought to your home. 3. Plan to install the carpet at a time of year when you can provide extra ventilation by opening windows during and immediately after installation. 4. Arrange for chemically sensitive persons to be out of the house for the first few days after the new carpet is installed. The carpet industry is working to reduce these emissions. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) now certifies low-emissions carpeting (see Figure 2). Carpets of any age can act as a trap or sponge for chemical and biological pollut- ants which are carried in the air or are tracked in from outside. Damp, dirty carpet is a breeding ground for biological pollutants. Carpets require regular vacuuming and clean- ing. Paint, varnish and other surface fin- ishes. Products used to finish, protect and beautify materials in the home are potential sources of indoor air pollutants because they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Products that are oil-, solvent-, or alkyd-based release more harmful vapors than water-based Figure 2. Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) products. Not sure about a particular prod- label that appears on carpet tested for low uct? If the instructions on the label say to emissions. Reprinted with permission from CRI. clean up with soap and water, then it is water- based.
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