| |
Many
new and renovated homes cause occupants to experience temporary
ill-health symptoms while others develop permanent ill effects
and chemical sensitivities referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
(MCS) or Environmental Illness (EI).
 Good
IAQ involves minimizing the contaminants through proper selection
of building materials and furnishings (green products), adequate
ventilation and airflow (open windows or air filtering systems),
and monitoring activities that may contribute to poor IAQ (such
as no smoking or fragrances and using non-toxic cleaning supplies).
The
source of indoor air quality problems are typically:
1.A ventilation system which is unable to control existing air
contaminants or it can be the cause itself from microbiological
growth within the system.
2.Contaminants,
which can emanate from indoors, outdoors, or within the heating
or cooling system, are generally of three types: chemical, biological
or particulate — of which most of society is unaware and
takes for granted:
•chemicals
— VOCs offgassed from such things
as the ink of newspapers and magazines, cleaning products, carpeting,
furniture, adhesives, insulation, plywood and particleboard, pesticides,
and residues on leather, synthetic fabrics, synthetic polymer
based furnishings and decorative materials.
•biological contaminants — such as molds and bacteria.
•particulates
— such as lead, asbestos, sawdust, soft goods such as carpets
and fabrics, and tobacco smoke.
In
1962 Rachel Carson’s alarming book, Silent Spring, documented the dangerous affects of chemicals
in our environment. Yet, now 40 years later there are well over
70,000 chemicals currently in commerce, only 10% of which have
been tested for neurotoxicity.
A
more recent book, Our Stolen Future, tells an even more frightening tale and includes case studies and research findings which disclose the documented effects these chemical exposures have wreaked upon us without our consent or knowledge — and their effects on wildlife. For example, creatures in the most remote parts of the planet have elevated levels of chemicals in their body fat and physiological problems are being seen across many different species worldwide — not just in humans. Most alarming are problems affecting the ability to reproduce, which could lead to the extinction of a species. Many of these chemicals are commonly used in the manufacture and/or installation of building materials. Other books tell just as interesting a story, including Generations at Risk: Reproductive Health and the Environment, and Our Children's Toxic Legacy: How Science and Law Fail to Protect Us from Pesticides.
Currently, our observation of this problem is vast, but our scientifically
quantifiable knowledge is limited. Adequate data is almost non-existent.
So little testing has been performed that not much is known about
most chemicals emitted from all sorts of materials and products
— such as what level causes or contributes to adverse health
effects.
Chemical contaminants are typically implicated in MCS and EI.
They include combustion product gases (like carbon monoxide, nitrogen
dioxide, and natural gas), radon, ozone, second hand tobacco smoke
and VOCs (such as pesticides, formaldehyde, benzene, aldehydes
and many others) which are known or suspected of causing cancer,
endocrine disruption or developmental toxicity.
These dangers can be minimized by becoming educated to know what products have no or low-VOCs, what makes them healthier for you and then carefully selecting those that you and your family can live and work with. Know your products. There are many books we've listed to help you stay healthy in your home. And remember, it is just as important to dispose of products properly so that these chemicals do not enter our land and waterways where they can cause harm to other species.
|
