|
|
Is the air in your home healthy?
Most people spend at least half their lives inside
their homes. Indoor air can be more harmful to your
family's health than outdoor air. Is the air in your
home safe to breathe? It is not always easy to tell
if you have poor air quality. You can smell paint fumes
and see smoke, but you may not be able to see or smell
other dangers, like radon gas.
Asthma and allergies may be caused or made worse by
things in the air you breathe. Pets, tobacco smoke,
cockroaches, and damp basements can all pollute the
air and make asthma worse.
Your family can be poisoned from toxic gases. Carbon
monoxide is a deadly gas you can't smell or see. It
comes from combustion appliances, like gas heaters,
furnaces, stoves and dryers. When they are hooked up
wrong or not maintained, carbon monoxide escapes and
you can breathe it. Car exhaust also has carbon monoxide.
Radon is another gas that can get into some homes from
the ground underneath it. Different parts of the country
have different levels of radon. Radon, a radioactive
gas, causes cancer.
Many products used to build and furnish your home can
make indoor air unhealthy. Harmful chemicals can be
in new carpets and in furniture made of particle board.
These chemicals can cause headaches, burning eyes, sore
throat, dizziness, or tiredness in some people. Old
paint may have lead in it. Lead is a serious health
risk for children. Hobbies and projects that involve
sanding, painting, and welding may also make indoor
air harmful. Some household products, especially solvents,
can be dangerous. Mold and mildew grow in damp places
- basements, bathrooms, kitchens, or anywhere that water
is trapped. Some mold is toxic and some can make allergies
or asthma worse. Dust may contain chemicals, dust mites
(microscopic pests), mold, lead, and other things that
cause health problems. Smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces
may contain harmful particles. Regular housekeeping
can reduce dust and protect your family's health.
There are simple, but important steps you can take
to find out what is causing poor air quality. Please
vsit the N.C.
Cooperative Extension of Buncombe County to learn
more about indoor air quality.
|
|
Around the House 
