Eliminate These Issues to Make Your Home's Indoor Air Quality Healthier
Eliminate These Issues to Make Your Home's Indoor Air Quality Healthier
Keeping the quality of the air inside your home high creates a healthier home environment, translating to better short- and long-term health. Since you spend most of your time at home, clearing the air of common indoor pollutants is essential for the well-being of your family.
Issues That Prevent a Healthier Home Environment
- Smoking - Avoid tobacco smoke in the indoor environment by simply not allowing it indoors. Besides all the hazardous compounds in smoke, it contains microscopic particles and toxic gases that even high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can't remove. Not smoking inside is the only way to avoid the harmful effects of smoke.
- Radon - Radon is the by-product of decaying uranium found underground. If present, this gas can seep into homes through the foundation. The only way to know if it's present in your home is by testing the air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke. If radon levels are high, you'll need to ventilate your home for a healthier home environment, a project that requires a licensed contractor.
- Pesticides - Should you use pesticides around your home, follow the directions carefully for application and storage.Prolonged exposure to pesticides can lead to cancer, chronic health conditions, birth defects and low birth weight.
- Moisture and mold - The humidity in the southeastern U.S. sets the stage for problems with excessive moisture and mold in homes. Mold can be a serious problem indoors, since it can destroy whatever it covers. Some forms are also serious health hazards, like black mold. You can easily and inexpensively control all types of mold with ultraviolet (UV) lights inside your HVAC system. These lights alter the DNA of mold spores, viruses and bacteria, preventing them from successfully reproducing.
- Inadequate smoke alarms - Make sure you have at least one smoke alarm in your home and that it's functioning properly. Inhaling smoke can be deadly in minutes. Even brief exposure to smoke from a house fire can have serious health consequences.
