HEALTHY LIVING Fix Your. . . Indoor Air Quality
WHY INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IS HARMFUL Since most Americans spend 70% to 90% of their time indoors, the quality of indoor air can have a profound effect on their health. The EPA says levels of indoor pollutants can be 100 times higher than outdoors. Some symptoms of indoor pollution, such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, can appear shortly after exposure to pollutants. Other effects can take years to appear but can be deadly, including respiratory diseases, heart problems, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.
CAUSES Fuel. Most Americans
burn fuel to heat and cool their homes as well as cook their food and wash and dry their clothes. These fuels — natural gas, heating oil, wood, and propane — produce carbon monoxide, benzene, and other harmful substances. Inadequate ventilation.
Most homes use insulation and caulking to save on energy costs, and air and heating systems simply
your home’s foundation. Open windows. Unless you
recirculate contaminated indoor air without bringing in fresh air from outside. Tobacco products.
Exhaled cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke, contains carcinogens and heavy metals. Toxins circulate in the air for others to breathe, and settle on indoor surfaces — called thirdhand smoke — where they can remain for years. Radon. Radon is a natural
radioactive gas that seeps through cracks in walls and foundations. Off-gassing. Volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) are gases such as formaldehyde that are released by carpeting, upholstery, paints, and glue. Cleaning and personal
care products. Cleaning products and disinfectants,
air fresheners, deodorants, aerosol sprays, paints and paint strippers, stored fuels, hobby supplies, and dry-cleaned clothing all release VOCs.
WHAT TO DO Buy houseplants.
Common houseplants, including peace lily, corn plant, and fern arum, can reduce common indoor pollutants. Buy nontoxic cleaners.
Read labels and look for “green,” “natural,” and “nontoxic” products. Use at-home tests. Home
tests can measure levels of pollutants, including radon levels. If radon levels are high, you can usually reduce them by sealing
live in an area where outside pollution is bad, open windows and doors at least 10 minutes a day to bring fresh air into the house. Install exhaust fans. Exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens can reduce both indoor contaminants and excess moisture, which can cause health-damaging mold. Use air purifiers and
cleaners. Portable air purifiers and cleaners that use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can remove pollutants. Air out dry-cleaned
clothing. Hang newly cleaned clothing outside to allow chemicals to disperse.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS If you are concerned about indoor pollutants, you can buy at-home tests that check for one or two pollutants. If you want comprehensive results, an air quality professional who uses professional testing and monitoring devices can analyze air samples throughout your home.
Sources: American Lung Association;
epa.gov; University of Birmingham;
healthline.com; Berkeley Lab;
ambientedge.com;
Harvard.edu; Environmental Working Group
Hair-Styling Products May Be Bad for Health A 94 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | JUNE 2024
new study found that products that shine and smooth hair contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that linger in the air after use. Common styling techniques that rely
on heat — straightening and curling — can increase the levels of VOCs even more. According to researchers, a person can inhale up to 17 mg of potentially harmful chemicals in a single use. “We did not expect to see such significant emissions of volatile chemical mixtures from off-the- shelf hair care products during typical hair care routines that many people perform each and every day,” said Nusrat Jung, assistant professor of civil engineering at Purdue University.
WOMAN/PIKSELSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK / PLANT/AMAZING FLORAL PATTERNS/SHUTTERSTOCK / HAIR PRODUCTS/BEARFOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK
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