Beware The Air You Breathe At Home

[Seneca]

Beware The Air You Breathe At Home

(CBS) There are dozens of toxic chemicals inside your home in the air and dust, say scientists, and there's little you can do about it.

Some of the chemical levels exceed government guidelines for health risk, while for nearly half the compounds, there is no recommended maximum.

A study of 120 homes in Cape Code, Mass., reported in the Los Angeles Times, found 67 contaminants, mostly chemicals found in plastics, detergents and cosmetics, as well as insecticides and flame retardants used in foam furnishings.

It's part of a decade-long study of 2,100 women to determine why Cape Code has a high prevalence of breast cancer, but there's also concern that children breathe in the dust, affecting their hormone development.

More: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/16/tech/main573504.shtml

[JohnOneillsMemory]

1. Yup. Swimming in gasoline...imagine sealed hotel rooms.

I tour with music acts and live in hotel rooms for weeks at a time. They are usually sealed, can't open windows. And doused with chemical cleaners everyday for years. They make my eyes and throat burn and I get respiratory infections. It's a relief to get home to the SF Bay area and get upwind from industrial Amerikka. There should be a ban on chemical 'air fresheners.'

[donsu]

2. agree

nt

[sendero]

3. this is an unhealthy side effect....

.... of the drive to build homes and offices more and more air-tight for energy conservation reasons.

While energy conservation is one of my pet "beliefs", you really have to be careful about keeping a closed up home, especially if it is built from newer materials, or if you have had carpet replaced, or countertops, or ???. These products all outgas all kinds of nasty stuff for quite a while.

And yes, I suppose the judicious use of certain cleaners and other products makes a lot of sense too.

[oneighty]

6. I suspect in addition

that the super air tight over insulated homes contributes to the "Black Mold" problem by encouraging build up of moisture content in the building materials.

I have first hand experience with that happening.

180

[Enraged_Ape]

4. Aren't there houseplants that can absorb some of this?

Some of you more knowledgeable, green-thumbed people?

[Don_G]

5. There's A Long List

Primarily outgassing of chemicals used to make carpeting and furniture, household chemicals including cleaning supplies and paint/varnishes.

I remember reading "The Natural House" book some years back which offered alternatives to some of the problems. I reccommend it highly along with using water-based polyurethane as a finish on floors and furniture.

[DemExpat]

7. One idea from a book like that I use is air-freshener spray

for by toilets.
I bought a small atomizer-spray bottle and fill it with water, a little alcohol, and pour the contents of a little bottle of aromatic oil into this...shake...and spray.

Natural, smells great, and non-toxic!

I like pine oil, lemon, geranium for the toilets.

DemEx