Breathing Queasy: Improving Indoor Air
(Page 2 of 3)
March-April 2009
by Laura Sevier, from the Ecologist
We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, according to the EPA. In homes, offices, schools, or shops. Awake with our families, friends, and coworkers, or sleeping in our beds. Everything in the air ends up in our bodies, so good-quality air is of vital importance.
RELATED CONTENT
Ways to Improve Monopoly October 18, 2001 Sara V. Buckwitz Ways to Improve Monopoly, Eri...
You don’t need exotic technology or expensive gadgets to remove pollutants from the air you breathe...
Baghdad’s underground railroad....
Consumer Hotline Offers Round-the-Clock Y2K Help...
In a sentence: We are what we breathe.
The good news is there’s plenty you can do to improve the quality of your indoor air.
Freshen up the air—naturally. Unless you live next to a highway, the cheapest and most effective way to allow fresh air in and toxic air out is to open a window. Ban air “fresheners,” a source of VOCs, and use natural odor eaters such as a bowl of baking soda or naturally fragranced alternatives. Avoid using perfumes, deodorants, and products containing parfum, a catchall term that hides the identities of dozens of potentially persistent or allergenic chemicals.
Clear out cleaning chemicals. Recent studies have linked cleaning sprays with a new surge of asthma in adults, and have tied use of cleaning products by pregnant women to their children’s persistent wheezing in early childhood. Use products made from natural plant ingredients or experiment with simple cleaning solutions made from lemons, vinegar, and baking soda.
Suppress breathable particles. Dust is just dust, right? Wrong. A 2002 Greenpeace U.K. analysis of house-dust samples vacuumed from 100 homes showed that hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and alkylphenols were widespread contaminants. Regular cleaning can help keep down levels of breathable particles along with dust mites, pollen, and other allergy-causing agents. Keep humidity to a minimum, too, to discourage the growth of mold—which has the potential to cause allergic reactions when it is inhaled.
Plug into plant power. Living green plants can remove toxic chemicals including formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air, according to a two-year study by NASA scientists.[Check out “Leafy Clean” for suggestions on the best plants to cleanse indoor air and how to care for them.]