Did you know that the air inside your house could be making you sick? In fact, it may even be causing developmental problems in your children.
If your home is like most others, the air in your house is probably five to ten times worse than the air outside, says John Bower, founder of The Healthy House Institute, Bloomington, Ind.
And no one type of house is safer than others, unless you're one of the few homeowners to have taken special steps to limit the chemicals, toxins, allergens and other unhealthy freeloaders lurking throughout the house.
Environmental health specialists say even though research has demonstrated the prevalence and threats that indoor air causes, there has been little movement to reverse the tide of unhealthy homes.
"You could be poisoning your kids without even knowing it," says Brian Sullivan, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The department's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control is one of the organizations banging the drum on the dangers of lead paint and dust poisoning and other residential health issues.
Unhealthy House Guests
But lead-based paint is just one of a plethora of dangers possibly lurking in your home. Other unwanted occupants include carbon monoxide, radon, mold, mildew, dust mites, pet dander, formaldehyde and other gases released by man-made products. According to Bower, author of "The Healthy House Answer Book" and other books on the subject, these are a sampling of your home's unwanted guests.
Other intruders include asbestos in older insulation and other housing products, mercury once used in paint and drywall compound, radioactive waste in some smoke detectors, air-borne particles released from tap water-based humidifiers, and the dozens of cleaning products stored in the kitchen or basement. Keep in mind, it's easier to get your unwanted mother-in-law to leave than it is some of these denizens.
"All of us would like to have simple solutions, and there are some, but there are solutions that don't have easy answers," Bower says.
